Another Perspective Version Two
by AlbertG
Summary: Expanded version of 'Another ptain Jankowski of the EAS Prometheus was fated to start a war with the Minbari.He shouldn't have been there but he this reality something changed. Now Earth will never be the same again.
1. Prelude

Title: Another Perspective / version 2.0

Author: Albert Green Jr.

Rating: T

THIS STATEMENT MUST ACCOMPANY THE STORY 'ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE' IF DISTRIBUTED. THIS STORY IS FREE OF CHARGE AND MAY NOT BE SOLD OR EXCHANGED FOR FINANCIAL RETURN IN ANY FORM. THIS DEDICATION MUST ACCOMPANY ANY DISTRUBUTION OF THIS STORY.

-COPYRIGHT/DISCLAIMER NOTICE-

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"_Farscape_," and all of its characters certain technological devices and/or references to such, from the television show, past present or near future (and I hope that there is still hope), characters, names, and all related indicia are trademarks of Jim Henderson co. and the Syfy Channel.

_"Star Trek", "Star Trek: The Next Generation", "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine", "Star Trek: Voyager", _and _"Star Trek: First Contact", _and all related _Star Trek material, it's_ characters and certain technological devices and/or references  
>to such, from the television shows and movies, may be or are registered trademarks of, and may be or are copyrighted by Paramount Studios and whatever Corporation it may or may not be owned by.<p>

Now that that is over and done with, HERE"S MORE!

Certain characters in this story are mine. And these are the creation of the author who is solely responsible for them as such. Neither Studio is responsible for the content of this story.

Dedication: Again to my wife of so many decades-thank you. There are several people who will be putting in their personal comments and suggestions in this upcoming story, like Ed Becerra and Ash's Boomstick and Sithspawn to name a few.

Albert Green Jr. quick note: This story is an updated version of the original story. ATV (which is close to concluding) and, AIB have priority but I will not ignore this either. The Ruination War is still on back burner but will be flaring up very soon as events in AIB (Allies in Blood) continue. So please be patient with me and God bless. This was written before and is true now.

"_Just when you thought you had had enough of the Minbari and the idiots at Earthforce during that most delicate of times, I present…_

_**ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE-Version 2.0**_

_**Prelude:**_

_**Earth Alliance Year 2242**_

_A group of Earthforce ships, lead by Michael Jankowski, captain of the __Prometheus,__ had been sent out to scout the Minbari boarder. His orders were explicit. Jankowski was not to initiate first contact with this unknown and possibly dangerous species. Every bit of data gleaned about the Minbari given to them by the other governments indicated that they were powerful and for the most part wanted to be left alone unless 'they' chose to initiate contact themselves. Earthforce officials, aware of an unknown and possible danger demanded a threat assessment of this species. The captain, considered by many an aggressive loose cannon by many of his associates, foolishly decided to take the initiative in the face of his orders and lead the fleet closer to the Minbari border than was authorized. The Earthforce captain was an ambitious man and this particular mission would be a sure bet for him to receive the promotion and notoriety he so desperately wanted._

_To his great dismay, he got exactly what he wished for and more._

_You have to take into consider Earth Alliance's attitude during this time in its relatively young life. Fresh from its victory over the Dilgar, it was ambitious, a touch arrogant, certainly exhibiting imperialistic tendencies, completely ignorant of what was out there, and worst of all they were prideful, the first and greatest of all sins. So it came as no surprise that Earthforce command chose someone that Murphy just couldn't resist. Earth needed this kick in its collective butt to get itself together, although it didn't appreciate how the butt kicking was performed at the time. _

_**Terran Year 2212:**_

The ever-increasing fury of the temporal storms cascading throughout hyperspace for hundreds of light-years in every direction had drawn Kosh to this very spot, the very center of the disturbance. Even deeper layers of hyperspace known only to the middle and elder races were being affected. The Vorlons were afraid as nothing like this had ever happened before in their collective memories. No one knew if the phenomenon was natural or artificially created, however the eventual outcome of such a cascading disaster was understood beyond a doubt. Some had to find the root cause and deal with it.

Kosh Naranek was chosen as were three others.

Their living vessels had stopped at the very center of the disturbance. He and the others were stunned as their living ships told them that the center of the disturbance was originating within normal space, not hyperspace as all had assumed. Caution won out over curiosity however, and the Vorlons ordered their vessels to move some distance from the epicenter before jumping into normal space. Transiting from hyperspace into normal space in such a dangerous region was never something to be taken lightly. Under such bizarre conditions, it was quite possible to find one's ship too close to a sun, or trapped in a gravity well with no hope of escape before death claimed its due. No one was interested in that, especially Kosh. But what Kosh was interested in was the temporal displacement waves emanating from this unknown source. Not even the Great Machines placed throughout the galaxy could generate such tremendous amounts of temporal energy. Furthermore, the temporal energy wasn't tachyon-based. The particles were so powerful that they made the Great Machine's combined power pale in comparison.

The Vorlons had been in space, some said, for a million years. Surely his people would have discovered this anomaly earlier; however there was no record of such a phenomenon in the collective memory of any of his people. Therefore it had to be something completely new, an event never before recorded. The Vorlons wanted to know why this causality had never been discovered before.

Kosh chose to make to journey to the source first. With the characteristic flare of visual light heralding an object tearing its way out of hyperspace, his small ship found itself being buffeted by the physical forces present. The waves were immense and his living ship was excited by this new discovery, but it was also nervous, even frightened. Gently Kosh spoke to it and calmed his ship, his friend, down. Ordering it to head towards the source of the anomaly, Kosh quickly discovered a small, unimpressive planet in a K-class star system. According to his charts, the planet shouldn't have been there. Point in fact; the entire star system shouldn't have been there. That fact was disturbing on levels he'd never, ever experienced before.

As he neared the planet, delicate pedal-like fins opened at the rear of the ship, slowing the ship down as it prepared to enter the atmosphere. Moments before the ship entered the planet's atmosphere, the pedals closed and the ship decelerated gently landing on the surface. Safe inside his encounter suit, he stepped onto the surface of this new, yet ancient, old world.

A preliminary scan revealed that the planet was filled with wildlife, but there was no sentient life detected. However there was evidence of an ancient civilization had once thrived here. But the ruins were millions of years old. That surprised the Vorlon. Upon closer inspection he saw that there were several different types of architectural styles present. Cities built over cities throughout the millennia. But what was amazing was that after all of the eons the structures in question was still definable. That spoke of ancient and powerful races that lived here. They had to be 'First' First Ones, so-called elders and Kosh felt humbled as he walked among the ages-old foundations.

Hours passed before he discovered it, a huge stone-like structure with a hole seemingly carved into the middle of it. Quickly, he called for the others and they came.

To a member of the younger races, it would look like nothing more than a primitive work of art carved out of stone. To Kosh's eyes it confirmed all that he began to suspect. He saw the complex energy lattices surrounding the structure. Colors, invisible to the naked eye but visible to Vorlon senses, embraced the machine as if it were a long lost love. He could see the waves of distortion being emitted to into space and far, far beyond. This device was a temporal device of unimagined power. Vorlon scientists would take generations to understand this technology. It was awe-inspiring and the only thing that Kosh could do was to stare at the alien beauty of the thing.

The other Vorlons arrived and stood there in rapt silences, simply watching the almost sacred object of power. Then without warning the object activated causing the alarmed Vorlons to step back. In the center of the object, moving images appeared. Moving closer, Kosh witnessed several younger creatures identified as Humans and one alien, species unknown, staring at the same object. All of them were looking at the same structure as that which the Vorlons looked at. That was strange, as all of the younger races had been thought to have been catalogued and processed by the Vorlon Empire. And Humans shouldn't have been able to travel this far into the galaxy yet.

That was disturbing and he wondered what they were looking at. His visual devices inside his protected suit refused to record what was being shown. That in itself spoke of power.

The Humans were speaking in the language identified as English. One of the asked the others, "what is it?"

"A QUESTION," the structure boomed.

Then the images cut off.

The Vorlon was perplexed for a moment, and then he understood. This creation wanted something – a question.

"Who are you?" Kosh asked. The term 'what' didn't seem the appropriate word to use with this entity.

"A QUESTION," the structure boomed. "FINALLY, A QUESTION FROM A VORLON. FOR A MILLION YEARS, I HAVE AWAITED A QUESTION FROM A VORLON." Kosh and the others were shocked. "I AM THE GUARDIAN OF FOREVER."

"You are a temporal structure, a machine, or a living entity?"

"IN TERMS THAT YOU CAN UNDERSTAND, THE ANSWER IS YES."

The Guardian began to show him images of the Vorlon's humblest beginning to the present moment. It happened in an instant and the Vorlon saw it all. Stunned at the history they'd witnessed, the Vorlons stood there, mute. Then it showed them what it was.

"DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION?" prompted the Guardian.

It took a few moments for the Vorlons to recover.

The lead Vorlon smiled. He did indeed have a question, the question of the ages; the one question was above all others. "Are we right?" asked Kosh.

For a moment, Kosh felt a gathering of energy emanating from the device. There was a burst of light. Images began to flood into its center. That was when he understood that this machine entity had the power to see into other universes. It was pan-universal. It could travel and bring things with it such as entire solar systems if it chose to. It was power. Where it went was for it alone to decide. This temporal entity called the Guardian of Forever existed not only here but in every universe, or any universe it chose to.

And Kosh saw.

The other saw.

He saw his people completing the circle and then, tired of all of the stress and worry dealing with the younger races, planning to kill them all. The Humans were the glue who stopped his people from that foolishness in some of the images. In far too many others, the Vorlons and Shadows had slaughtered the young races leaving nothing leaving nothing but desolation. Then satisfied like children who had tired of their toys, left for the Rim.

And Kosh was ashamed.

He was shown the Humans once more in ships of unknown configuration, at war with the Minbari and the Minbari were losing badly. He saw his counterpart in that reality enraged that other First Ones, never before directly confronted by his people, had dared to impose their will upon him and his people, and his people stood there afraid to do anything least these Elders poured their wrath upon them.

He saw the answer to his question. And the Kosh of this universe was as enraged as his counterpart. The Shadows were proven more correct than his people. At the same time, the Shadows had been proven to be entirely wrong as well.

All of the observers were stunned. This entity could do effortlessly what the Vorlons had attempted to do with all of their science and knowledge and failed. Humbled, he and the others continued to observe.

In another reality shown to him, He saw the strange Human ships once more but more advanced, dangerously so. They still called themselves the Federation and they were in league with the Humans of Earth Alliance but this time they were working with the Minbari, engaged in a desperate war with the 'Great Enemy' from that other, third space. He knew their names, and was afraid.

The_ Sinhindi Delaxiin in the language of the Vorlons, or whom the young races would call the Yonji Sinhindrea _– loose in that universe. But the actions of his people shamed him once more. And again the hated Shadows were proven just as correct in their beliefs as were his people – and just as wrong. Pure order, pure chaos to advance the cause of evolution was only the piece of the grand equation.

In yet another universe they again saw Humans, children of the Ancients of their universe, once more in unfamiliar ships different from the Federation ones doing battle with the Vorlon's favorite children and he despaired. The Minbari lashed out at the other Human ships believing them to be from Earth Alliance. They hadn't listened and in so doing so began the massacre of their own people. In that same universe, the Vorlons encountered another ancient race called the Asgard and tried to impose their will upon them and discovered that there were serious consequences to those actions. The Asgard weren't the middle race the Vorlons assumed they were and his people of that universe made a horrible mistake trying to force them to travel the path that the Vorlons thought they should. The fact that the Asgard and Tau'ri Humans were from yet another universe had been too tempting. It was another mistake, a new one that his universe had never made, but it was still one of so many. Those Vorlons forced their way into the fracture to impose their will. The resulting war was horrendous and again the Humans who called themselves the Tau'ri were right in the middle of it.

"_What is it?"_

Kosh froze.

The others went defensive.

A voice.

A voice of a kind not heard in a thousand years. A disturbance, confusion, anarchy disorder, but most of all chaos bringers.

Dancers in the Dark.

Shadows.

Kosh and the others never even heard them approach.

Three arachnoid-looking alien appeared in front of the hostile Vorlons.

Two species locked in philosophical and physical conflict glared at one another across the distance. Other than the first question neither side spoke. Instead the Guardian of Forever spoke for them.

" SHADOWS. VORLONS – TOGETHER, NOT ALONE."

Once more, in the center of the donut-shaped device images began scrolling. From the humblest beginnings to the present, the creatures known as the Shadows were shown their history their successes were obvious, their failures even more so. Every secret was laid bare for all to see.

The pattern was becoming obvious. In all they were shown twelve universes, always with Humans in the forefront, somehow either ruining the circle or more importantly, proving the Vorlon's absolute rule of order, and the Shadow's absolute rule of chaos to be in error. Finally the images ceased.

The lead Shadow, frightened by the casual ease of her race's greatest secrets being exposed to her enemies in such a cavalier manner asked, _"what do you want?"_

Kosh and the others including the shadows couldn't help but expect that question although all of them were eager to hear the guardian's response.

"IN TERMS YOU UNDERSTAND TO CORRECT THE TEMPORAL FRACTURES IN THE MULTIVERSE. TO ANSWER YOUR OTHER QUESTION WHAT AM I? BEFORE THE Q WERE, I WAS."

Both the Vorlons and shadows looked on in confusion. What did that mean? But only now did the other three Vorlons and the Shadows begin to understand what they saw.

"Why have you shown us this?" asked Kosh, although he suspected the answer. Ironically, Kosh hated trying to decipher the cryptic ramblings of alien entities.

"IS THIS NOT THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION? THE REVOLVING CIRCLE HAS INTERFERED WITH TIME. IT BEGINS TO COLLAPSE UPON ITSELF. THE TEMPORAL WAR TEARS, THE TIMESCAPES ALTER, THE UNIVERSES CROSS OVER. THE FEDERATION BLEEDS THROUGH. THOSE KNOWN AS THE TAU'RI BLEEDS THROUGH. REALIZED REALITIES BLEED THROUGH. THERE MUST AN ENDING. UNIVERSES ARE BLEEDING INTO ONE ANOTHER, NOT THROUGH FILTERS, BUT THROUGH CHAOS LIKE THE ONCOMING WAVE, A TRICKLE AT THIS POINT, SOON, A STORM. THE CIRCLE DOES NOT HOLD, IT ONLY HELPS THE BLEEDING. THE CIRCLE MUST CEASE. THE TEMPORAL COLD WAR MUST CEASE. THE STARGATE MUST STABILIZE. THE MAGIC MUST BALANCE. CROSSINGS MUST BE FLUID, NOT CHAOTIC."

Both the Vorlons and Shadows minds reeled with the gleanings of knowledge of the universe and others. Universes were converging, crossing over like water seeping through cracks in a wall. Or, maybe it wasn't there to stop the leaks, only to control the some of the more disruptive results from those leaks. This entity believed it had the power to stop the chaos. It's presence or maybe its awareness here at this place was apparently only one stop in a series of infinite realities. Wherever there was seepage, the Guardian would be there.

"THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS BLACK AND WHITE," the Guardian announced. "THERE ARE ONLY SHADES OF GRAY."

The Guardian's imager activated once more showing both First Ones an area of space-time. There was a fracture unknown to Vorlon science or Shadow knowledge there; a bleeding wound that squeezed things from other universe into each other. The fracture was fluid, moving from place to place, from universe to universe, from reality to reality. The truth was beyond frightening. The Vorlons and Shadows were advanced enough to appreciate the terror of what the Guardian was dealing with and apparently, the continuing circle in this reality and others only served to increase the size of the fracture.

"REMEMBER WHAT YOU HAVE QUESTION IS ANSWERED. BE AT PEACE. THERE IS MORE TO DO THAN BEING RIGHT."

"_What is worth more than being right?"_ asked the lead Shadow.

"SO MANY THINGS. GO FIND THEM."

The Guardian glowed brightly and the power dissipated as though it was never there. The waves of temporal and spatial distortions ceased, leaving a very depressed, but curiously satisfied group of Vorlons and their Shadow counterparts all alone on the planet. Completing its mission here at this point in time and space, this aspect of the Guardian of Forever would never speak to them again. Kosh would forevermore suspect that it had other things to occupy itself. This ancient device had activated itself to present a warning to his people and the Shadows. The question for the ages had been answered. Now the new question was what would they do about it?

Both groups of aliens stared at each other, unsure of what to do, unsure of what to say. Finally, both leaders moved towards each other. Terrified at the newness of it all, the silence was broken when each of them asked the same question.

"Would you like to talk?"

"_What is the circle?"_ the Shadow leader asked.

Kosh relented and told her.

"_You cheated?"_

"Yes."

The Shadow laughed. _"The truth,"_ she said. _"Not my truth, not your truth, but truth itself and we never knew. Well done."_

The conversation lasted for days.

Kosh opened his mind and joined with the collective conscious of his people. There would be much to discuss in the coming years and the ramifications of their conclusions would change this particular universe forever.

In the Earth year 2241, the entire solar system disappeared as mysteriously as it had appeared. That was also the year that the Vorlons, Shadows, and the last of the remaining First Ones of that region left for the Rim.


	2. Chapter 1

_**Chapter One**_

_**Terran year 2242 -Thirty years later**_

_**One pointy five light years from Minbari space**_

From the swirling vortex that was hyperspace three Earthforce ships, three _Hyperions, _and the_ DSEV Amundsen, _transitioned into unfamiliar territory. They were tasked to covertly probe space just outside the borders of an elusive race called the Minbari. Michael Jankowski, the captain in charge had been ordered there to determine the threat potential of this race that seemed to almost terrify the Centauri. Taking no chances, Jankowski of the _EA Prometheus_ ordered Alert One Squadron to proceed in front of them as a screen. In this case all eighteen single manned fighters called starfuries had been launched.

Twenty thousand klicks distant, was a small group of vessels flanked by a fighter squadron of their own had been detected. The, what was obviously a command vessel was huge, with weapons ports bristling everywhere. Earth Alliance intelligence hadn't seen anything like it.

"Do we have any identification at all on those ships?" demanded Jankowski. The man was feeling intimidated and when he felt that way usually something was shot at. Earthforce Command was aware of this potential weakness concerning First Contact situations but as a whole, a proud Earth Alliance chronically suffered from the second of all sins –

- Arrogance.

"No, sir. We don't have any identification on these vessels at all," replied RER officer in charge of sensors. "They have some type of electromagnetic grid that is interfering with our scanners. But they have to be Minbari being this close to the border."

"I don't like this," the captain said; more to himself than to the crew. The man was excitable. Aggressive and proactive during the Dilgar war, he had been commended several times for his actions under fire, traits that made him a good combat officer. However patience and stealth was not part of his nature, something that was essential when exploring new territories. The lack of those traits was revealing themselves now. Hunched over the scanners he did his best to analyze what they were seeing. One thing became obvious quickly. Whatever technology those vessel had were beyond anything he'd seen before. A more cautious man would have backed off, but Jankowski's impatience and desire for glory overcame caution. "Let's get a bit closer, try to get some better scans."

"Sir, our orders were to…"

"I know what our orders were," the captain snapped effectively silencing his first officer, Commander Robert Aldmann. He didn't like the man, whom he felt was gunning for his position. "I'm not going to turn tail just when we find these people. Do as ordered, Commander," he growled.

"Yes, sir."

The commander duly cowed, he effectively forgot about him. "Go to Ready Alert. If they do anything rash, we'll blow them out of space. Always assume the worst, Commander," he lectured.

The first officer kept his opinion of the orders just given him to himself. This action was going past the orders tasked to them. No wonder John Sheridan had declined the position as First Officer even though it was a plum assignment. At first, he couldn't understand why, but now he knew. Just the first week serving under this captain had Robert envying Sheridan's common sense. "Aye, sir."

_**Minbari executive command ship Valen'tha: **_

To a young Delenn, Dukhat the head of the Grey Council, and a figure considered the greatest of all living Minbari, appeared somewhat miffed by the actions of the warrior in charge of captaining the _Valen'tha_. He was practically yelling at the commander of the vessel. She'd never seen him raise his voice in such a manner before. It was disconcerting.

"These people have no idea about the rituals concerning our culture! What are you doing?"

"Sir," the Shai Alyt protested. "With our gun ports opened, we are showing respect to fellow warriors. It is not a sign of aggression."

"For us, yes," the Minbari leader quickly explained. "But these people have no idea what that means. Close the ports, immediately!"

"Yes, Dukhat," the Shai Alyt responded.

"Are they trying to communicate with us?"

"I think so, but their communications protocols are radically different. We do not understand their language and they do not understand ours."

"All the more reason to close the ports," growled Dukhat. "First Contacts are always the most dangerous. Assumptions could well start a war."

Another warrior blanched while Dukhat was speaking as he saw the readouts coming from the other group of ships. "I've detected a power spike! They are targeting our vessels. Their fighters are swarming towards us on attack vectors."

"Activate stealth mode immediately!"

"It's too late!" the warrior cried even as he and the others struggled to activate defense systems.

The Minbari command ship was rocked by a series of massive detonations on its hull. Delenn and her mentor Dukhat were thrown into the bulkheads. He landed on his leg, breaking it. Large chunks of ceiling and conduit fell on top of Dukhat, who crashed heavily to the floor writhing in obvious pain.

Delenn began screaming.

_**EA Prometheus: **_

Sensors had nearly been blinded by the intense scans from the alien vessels. The bridge crew was shocked but not surprised. The captain's orders moving closer to the alien vessels had served only to place the small squadron in mortal danger. The emissions that had scanned the Earthforce ships had been powerful enough to wreak havoc on some of the more sensitive systems.

"Sir, the fighters are heading right for us on attack vector. They just blew right through the forward Starfuries like they weren't there! We have two cruiser designates heading in our direction."

"They're targeting us! Weapon's fire, repeat weapon's fire."

"Weapons loose!" Jankowski screamed. Subconsciously he was hoping for something like this. The reality of something actually happening was far different from his expectations. "Fire for effect against both fighters and enemy capitals! Defense grid targeting at max range. Power up the jump drives. We're jumping as soon as we can!"

The one thousand meter long _Hyperions_ unleashed everything they had at the offending fighters while the already retreating _Amundsen _fired what little defensive weapons it had at the two incoming cruisers. The captain of the _Amundsen_, finding herself in the middle of a firefight, panicked. It wasn't a warship and had no business in the middle of a shooting war. The only weapons it had were two pairs of heavy double-mount plasma cannon and particle/laser turrets. With time she raked the incoming enemy ships running her down. The targets didn't care as they shot back, instantly shredding the relatively helpless explorer ship into small, glowing fragments.

Earthforce firepower hit the enemy cruisers, but to their dismay there was little effective damage.

"Get us out of here!" Jankowski screamed.

_**Valen'tha:**_

"Animals," Delenn screamed. "There was no reason for them to do this!"

"Delenn, our ships are returning fire," the commander of the vessel said. He was in shock as was Delenn. He was torn between whether to attack and destroy his enemies, or retreating from the conflict area, but it wasn't his decision to make. "What shall we do? Shall we cease fire and open communications?"

"Destroy them," she hissed. "Destroy them all! Show no mercy!"

"Yes, Delenn," responded the warrior hastening to obey.

"Delenn," Dukhat whispered. Delenn nearly burst into tears. Dukhat was still alive! He however was severely injured, barely conscious. She screamed for several of the attendants to take him to the most secured area of the ship. The ship rocked one more, but it was firing its own powerful neutron beams in retaliation.

"They had no right!" hissed the female Minbari as the others carried their stricken leader to their medial bay. "Kill them all!"

"Delenn, find out who they are," Dukhat's hoarse voice yelled. "…wisdom…in decision," he gasped before his voice gave out.

Delenn glared at him in shock. It was her decision now. "My choice," she whispered.

_**Prometheus: **_

The other _Hyperion_ had escaped with two very lucky Starfuries into hyperspace. But Jankowski's ship was doomed. It was clear that the enemy ships wanted his vessel intact…somewhat.

Jankowski's ship was being surgically dissected slowly and carefully by the advancing cruisers. His engines were useless, having been almost blown off by the enemy weapons fire; however the rest of the ship had so far suffered only minimal damage. Minimal was a relative word when in a middle of a firefight. Half the bridge crew was dead and he was in bad shape himself. Most of the bridge equipment was rubble and life support was almost non-existent. Engineers had flooded the bridge rushing in to fix the rapidly degrading atmospherics. Small electrical fires were being doused. The auxiliary crewmen and women quickly took the place of the dead whole others removed the bodies.

The only good thing was that communications was still operational. And it was beeping now.

A pain-racked Jankowski ordered communications opened.

"_Surrender, Human,"_ a cold, vicious voice said. _"You will unconditionally surrender your vessel and escort us to your home world. Your planet will be allowed to continue to exist when you give us what we want."_

"Captain! Look like's another fleet of ships out here! Our scans are barely picking them up, some type of stealth scattering field maybe, but they are there."

Jankowski started mentally cursing. He was completely outnumbered on a crippled ship with no hope of reinforcements. He gripped the sides of his chair. "What do you want?" he managed to ask. "Who are you?"

"_We…"_

Before he could hear the answer, the Captain was distracted by a massive blast hitting the enemy command vessel. Three alien fish-like vessels coming from seemingly out of nowhere, were slicing into the huge warship with weapons his crew were having trouble identifying. The captain had never seen such a display of raw power and it scared him. The enemy vessel had literally rocked when the beams hit it. Three seconds later, continuo is firing at the cruiser, the fusion beams punched through the other side. The ship exploded. Jankowski was elated. Whoever they were they had saved his butt in the preverbal nick of time.

The enemy cruisers turned to face and bring their main weapons to bear on is new threat. To their credit the enemy warship was giving as good as it received.

What was left of his ship's scanners hadn't even noticed the organic designed fish-like ships and weren't noticing them now either. But he could see what was happening clearly enough. His protectors were fighting for all they were worth but it wasn't quite enough as one of the ships had a fin sheared off. He had to get back into the fight.

"Do we have any weapons left?" he demanded.

"Only a couple of nuclear missiles and one anti-fighter battery," replied the weapons operations crewmen. His head was bloodied. He was barely conscious. "We've lost everything else!"

_Lost _was the operative word here. The good thing was that the surviving enemy cruiser had completely forgotten about them in its own fight for survival. The other enemy cruisers and battleship concentrated on the blue ships but they were keeping their distance as one of them was gutted by those fish-ships. The other ship was vectoring back towards his crippled battleship. Although crippled the battleship managed to completely obliterate one of the huge blue ships in a display of firepower that made Jankowski want to wet his pants. And again communications opened, this time from the enemy battleship.

"_Confirmed. You are species Human, not Sebacean,"_a new but equally guttural voice said. _"John Crichton's species."_ That voice portrayed surprise and delight at the verification. "_You will give the Scarran Empire the secret of your wormhole technology, or we will destroy you and your world, and I will personally make you and your crew suffers the living death if such a thing is possible. I will be curious to see if you are and see how long you survive."_

"Just who the hell is John Crichton?" snapped the frightened captain, and just what was this living death? Who were these aliens? "I've never heard of him!" They obviously knew of Humanity and just as obviously they didn't like Humans. This enemy began to reply but he never heard the completed answer as one of the other blue vessels speared a cruiser with several dozen high-intensity beams, neatly cutting it in half. "Ready the missiles," he ordered. "Target that battleship."

"Target acquired. Initiating launch at your command."

"Fire."

The Commander of the _Valen'tha _smiled grimly as his ship's weapons opened a huge hole into the middle of the battleship. Debris spewed everywhere but its weapons hadn't stopped firing. The Minbari stealth systems were hard-pressed to keep from presenting the _Valen'tha _as target practice. Three enemy nuclear missiles had somehow burned through the stealth systems and immolated one of the Minbari heavy ships. That shouldn't have been possible. The _Sharlin_ died in a mouth-watering explosion. Incensed, the Minbari renewed their attack.

Suddenly, two small, primitive missiles from the other alien battleship in the area entered the same hole that that had just been created by his weapons. The nuclear missiles blew up deep inside the wounded ship and cracked it wide open. The one surviving cruiser turned and retreated using a form of propulsion never seen before that propelled the ship away faster than the speed of light.

Once more an exhausted Jankowski was more than nervous as the huge blue ship vectored in on his damaged and all but helpless vessel.

Communications was telling him that they were repeating one word over and over one word over and over:

"Minbari…Minbari."

So it was the Minbari who save his ship, he discovered. But that left the other two unanswered questions that needed to be answered and quickly. 'Who was this John person and more importantly who and what was the Scarran Empire?

He had a bad feeling about this.

So did the Minbari.


	3. Chapter 2

Carycomic: A thought-provoking opener, indeed. And, while I recognized a couple stories you were alluding to, there were others I didn't. For example; was that a reference to a BSG/B5 crossover, following the brief recap about the Yongi Sinhindrea?

_Hey Sir: Thank you for all of your reviews across the board. No that was a portion of Bob Regents 'Consequence of Actions story' which has not been seen by the readers. The other stories mentioned in passing are specifically mine. Essentially what I am hinting at is that there is a specific reason for the universes crossing or colliding into one another with some element of one universe winding up in another especially during certain time points._

_Now for example, Bob's Reunions' story is a blending and would not be a part of the problem as both elements of SG and BSG are in the same universe. ATV is in the same situation. Another Perspective is also in the same state. However, 'A Universe of Change' is a true crossover and not a blending so that would be an effect. 'Consequences of Actions' is a true crossover and as such is under the guardians purview. Any true crossover anywhere (for example Buffy coming to the SG universe) is under the guardian's authority. Fusions or blendings of two some called universes (Buffy and SG-1 in the same universe) are not)._

_And sorry, you'll have to wait to see John Crichton entry. You'll know when it happens. _

_**Chapter Two**_

_**The After action report**_

_**Signet Star system:**_

It was nearly three weeks later before Captain Jankowski's tattered fleet made the jump into the Signet system being escorted by three huge blue fish-like spaceships. One of those unidentifieds was significantly larger than the other two but even the smaller escorts were larger than anything Earthforce had ever built.

The _EA Prometheus_ approached the forward base. The base immediately went on alert as soon as the alien ships appeared. Three _Novas_ and two _Hyperions_ charged weapons and went on intercept. The _Novas_ were larger than the _Hyperions_ and their designs were different, reminding one of a more submarine-like look. Single-fighter Starfuries took point as they approached the unknown vessels which had stopped forward movement were the Earthforce survivors continued towards the base.

"This is Captain Jankowski, lead commander of the Durant expedition two one two. We are arriving minus two, plus three heavies. Our escorts are not hostile, repeat, not hostile."

"_This is Signet Control. Please give blue channel recognition code."_

The Captain understood. It was the standard friend-or-foe recognition code. If any EarthForce personnel were under threat or being coerced in any way then his ships would attack, if the proper code wasn't given within the next fifteen seconds. "Gamma-NewYork- tango- six- three- three-seven-zeta. Confirm."

Both _Hyperions_ looked like they'd been through the wringer. The _Dirkson's _damage was obvious however scans of the _Prometheus_ indicated so much damage that the crews tracking and observing were surprised that the ship could even mover much less travel through hyperspace. "_Gamma- New York- tango- six- three- three-seven-zeta. Confirmed. Welcome home, Captain. Who are your new friends?"_

"They're the Minbari, the people who pulled my butt out of the fire. Both of our ships were attacked by unknown bogies near their border. These people are requesting a meeting with EarthDome to discuss our mutual problem. This is a Gold Priority One First Contact request."

"_Acknowledged. I want a full report as soon as you dock. Please extend our courtesies."_

"Yes, sir. I request gold channel transfer to Earthforce Command."

"_We'll set it up, Captain." _

_**The Minbari ship Valen'tha:**_

_**The Chamber of the Circle of Nine**_**:**

In closed session with the grey Council, Dukhat stood in the middle of the light. His eyes were bright and he seemed full of life despite his recent injuries. The attack had left him with his leg broken and given him a contusion along with quite a few cuts and scrapes, but the Minbari were a tough people and typically of his people, he was recovering quickly. Normally he would walk while he spoke to the council. Today wasn't one of those days.

"I know that you have many questions," he started without preamble. "Why are we here and then to Earth instead of continuing our mission to Z'Ha'Dum? Who are these people that I would accompany them to their base in order to speak to them? Who were those that attacked us and them? Some of these questions I can answer. Others I intend to find out." He paused for dramatic effect. "There are things that you do not know such as our real purpose of traveling to Z'ha'dum and it is now time to speak of them. The real reason for our journey was this. I wanted to confirm that the Shadows of legend have indeed left forever. The Vorlons told me that the war we've prepared for so long will no longer happen. Both the Vorlons and the Shadows have left for the Rim, never to be seen again. They've resolved their differences and we need fear the Shadows no more. But before they left they told me many things. One of these things they told me was that the Humans were important in some way and it would be wise to make contact and establish relations with them."

One of the nine scoffed at what was said while they attempted to hide their shock at being told that the war was over before it started and the Vorlons had gone forever.

"These Humans are nothing," Satai Caldroni said. "They are young, just now trying to find their way in the universe."

"True," Dukhat said. "But then, so were we once. But I have learned that when a Vorlon speaks, it is wise that we listen to what it says. And I like to consider myself somewhat wise. We will take our time, continue to learn their language, and in the fullness of time, establish a relationship with them."

"I am unsure of this course of action, Satai," said Satai Coplann of the Warrior's caste. "This is somewhat unprecedented. We've always keep to ourselves. The younger races have never been worth the bother and the arrangement has been more than satisfactory and beneficial to our people. So, why change now? We have no need to be involved with their wars and petty politics. The Humans have just won the war against the Dilgar and are filled with pride and arrogance. And now they are encroaching into our territories without permission."

"Permission that we would have never given them in the first place?" he asked Coplann, smiling. "The Vorlon that chose to speak to me was very informative, which is surprising coming from everything we know about them. He told me that he believed that we had become too isolated and considered this a long-term danger to our people. He suggested that we change into something more."

"I don't understand," Coplann said. "Haven't we faithfully followed the dictates of the Vorlons?"

"Yes, but the rules have now been changed. It is time for us to step out on our own, mindful of the rules that the Vorlons have instructed for us."

There was a dead silence as the Council came to grips with implications of what there leader had told them. "Perhaps we should study the ramifications of these changes for a few years before we begin to implement them. We should move cautiously."

"Maybe we should consult our experts for another thousand years and then begin to step forward into the unknown; is that what you're telling me?" asked a sarcastic Dukhat. "No, I don't agree with that assessment. The time to move is now, not in another thousand years."

If we are to do this, then why start with the Humans?" Coplann asked. "Even if the Vorlons consider these aliens worth something, why not start with a government that is known to us?"

"Better to start with someone new," Dukhat insisted. "In this way we become committed to our cause. We will be – uncomfortable," he mused. "That will force us forward, giving us incentive to do so. The Humans helped us in our time of need against this new enemy."

"But they were there spying on our territories in the first place," Caldroni insisted. "For what reason did they have for doing that?" he accused. "We all know the answer."

"Yes, we do. But a better question that should be asked is, why did the universe allow them to spy on our territories at that exact moment?" countered Dukhat. "Don't you see, the universe is watching us and had chosen that moment for our two people to meet one another and we'd be fools to ignore it's time of choosing. I believe it is time for us to do so. I will request to meet with Earth's leaders in a face-to-face meeting. The Minbari will step into the darkness of the unknown to seek a new light."

_**EarthDome:**_

_**After action report:**_

_**Geneva, Switzerland **_

A concerned General Lefcourt quickly sat down next to General Frank Campisi. The other dozen Generals were already seated. Senators Santiago, Georgi, and Clark were ushered in and took their seats near the rear of the huge round table. Finally President Levy entered and took her place. Normally she wouldn't be here but this was a special case and the ramifications were enormous since the Minbari had requested and received permission to travel to Earth. The leader of the Minbari Federation no less had requested this diplomatic meeting and he was someone not to be ignored.

Campisi nodded and Lefcourt stood up. "Most of you know of the events that transpired a month ago. The Earthforce expedition Durant Two One Two sent to evaluate the Minbari territories under the command of Captain Michael Jankowski was engaged and almost destroyed by unknown forces. The expedition survived although almost half its forces were destroyed in the engagement. From the initial reports originally sent during the conflict, we first assumed that the unknowns were Minbari, but we were wrong. This is the more detailed report sent by courier three days ago. What you're about to see is not to be discussed outside this room. It'll come out to light soon enough."

Some of the Generals shifted in their seats, while others remained grim-faced as the video began. The image was somewhat grainy but the Captain's scarred and burned face was clearly identifiable.

After action report, Captain Michael Jankowski commanding_: Three days ago my expedition made contact with unknown forces less that one-half light-year from the Minbari boarder. My orders were to determine and evaluate their threat potential but not to make contact. Upon exiting hyperspace, scans detected a small group of vessels eighty-thousand kilometers of our position. The group consisted of three cruisers and a larger vessel we tagged as a battleship. The largest vessel was estimated at approximately three thousand meters. There were no details as the unknown targets immediately began scanning us. Their scans interfered with our systems. RWS search mode was rendered useless. Velocity Search mode was still functional so by my order we closed on them to acquire more information. Two of the cruiser analogs immediately accelerated, vectoring towards our direction and their ALERT fighters scrambled towards us. The other capital ships launched fighters. I ordered a full retreat. Targeting scans locked us up and I ordered weapons free and max ECM. Jump engines were powering up when their fighter pickets engaged and destroyed our forward Starfury screens with minimum effort._

_The unknown cruisers fired on us and we returned accurate weapons fire. Our beams were partially intercepted by some sort of energy shield protecting both enemy ships. But we were able to inflict some damage. Our jump point formed and we began our retreat. The_Amundsen_ was __cut apart before it could enter hyperspace. The _Dirksen_ was destroyed by swarming fighters. The _Yorkville_ transition but we were hit and unable to follow. We made a stand but the enemy cruiser continued to burned through our armor and destroy our weapons ports. We received a signal from the cruiser and I responded. They wanted me to surrender and tell them where Earth was. Then they threatened Earth. _

_I asked them to identify themselves as they communicated using English. Only later did we remember that what was initially said wasn't through INTERLAC protocols. They began to respond when the cruiser was destroyed by weapons fire. At the time, we became unaware that there was another group of ships present and that the enemy ships had engaged them as well. I later identified them as Minbari. Our scanners had never picked them up. The battleship-analog and three Minbari warships stood toe-to-toe throwing out more firepower than I've ever seen coming from individual ships. I couldn't get accurate scans but I estimate that their beam cannon are more than twice the power of our strongest weapons. One Minbari vessel was immobilized. The Minbari retaliated, penetrated the enemy battleships shields blew sections of armor from the ship._

_Our weapons were all but neutralized but we had one functional missile port. We received another communication. But this time it was in Standard English. They identified us as Humans, not Sebaceans. They also identified us as John Crichton's species. The message continued about secret wormhole technology. They also threatened Earth. I suspect that Sebaceans have a similar physiology as us and that their scanners are sophisticated enough to determine different specie. _

_I asked for clarification about this 'John Crichton' but communications was cut when the second cruiser was destroyed by the Minbari. My ship was all but incapacitated and losing life support however I was able to launch 2 thermo nuclear missiles into the damaged section of the enemy battleship. The ship was vaporized and a third cruiser retreated using a means of propulsion we've never seen before that propelled it to light speed and above. The Minbari rescued my crew, helped to repair some of our systems and have expressed a desire to open diplomatic relations with Earth Alliance. The Minbari also collected the intact bodies of two of the aliens."_

_On the screen, _Jankowski moved to the side and the Earth Alliance group stared at the corpse in shock.

"Looks like some sort of dinosaur," Clark muttered. "By the way its head is shaped, it's definitely a predator. Does anyone know what species it is?"

"Xenobiology doesn't have a clue," Campisi answered.

"_The alien's physical structure is massive, almost seven feet and the skin is armored," _the Captain continued._ "It apparently maintains a very high body temperature as compare to our local races maintains. It would take sustained PPG fire to penetrate the skin. From what I understand the Minbari, have never seen anything like this creature either. It is my opinion that the alien's technology, physical strength, and aggressiveness, and the belief that we had some type of wormhole technology makes this species an extreme threat somewhat greater than the Dilgar. We did hear one name – Scarran Empire._

_It is also my opinion, that the Minbari are potentially a moderate threat if they become aggressive. Their technology is more advanced than ours and their weapons are more powerful and superior to ours. But they have not acted aggressively towards us and trade relations with them might prove beneficial to Earth Alliance. In fact, they seem most eager to establish diplomatic ties with us. Details and sensor logs of our encounter are being sent by secured channels."_

The recorded transmission ceased and the Earth Alliance officers and politicians digested what they've seen.

"Gentlemen, we may have just made another enemy," Lefcourt said.

"You have a gift for understatement, General," Senator Clark commented dryly. "But what I want to know is who are these other aliens and why do the think we have wormhole technology?"

"I don't know, but we're looking up the name John Crichton. Maybe that will help give us some idea of what's going on."

"That's already begun," Senator Santiago said. "We've found over five hundred names with the surname pronunciation going back sixty years. But so far, Intel hasn't pinpointed the man we're looking for."

"We may never know," Campisi said. "However if these aliens come then they better be prepared for a fight. We'll do the same thing to them as we did to the Dilgar. I want all of our forces on general alert. Let's see if we can find these aliens and explain to them why they shouldn't mess with us.

"Our diplomats can deal with the Minbari," Levy interjected. "The fact that they want to come out of seclusion seems unusual considering everything that we know about them but I'm not about to look a gift horse in the mouth – yet. I want to know what they want. Obviously security will have to be tight. When the other races find out that they want come here for a personal visit with them. We are going be swamped with requests. I don't care if we have to use all of Earthforce but I don't want security lax. We-do-not-need an incident! The Minbari seem to be open to talks, but we must impress upon them that we can handle ourselves well, if they feel like testing us."

"My question is," asked Santiago, "Who or what are the Sebaceans? Is it another species we've not met or is it a name of a group?"

"We don't know, but we will find out," Clark said. "People, we have a lot of questions and no answers as of yet. It's about time we go searching for some starting with these Minbari."

"Yes," Levy said slowly. Her head slowly turned towards General Lefcourt. "I have a question. I've been reading Captain Jankowski's bio. He's not the type to keep a low profile. I've talked to some of his fellow officers and all of them had glowing reports about him. They hadn't anything negative to say." She paused. "At the same time few of them liked him. Oh, they didn't say as such," she smiled. "All of you like to stick together. But," and here she paused once more. "I'm good and reading a person's body language and the impression I got is that he was typical of the aggressive officer full of self importance, trying to make a name for himself. He's exactly the type of person 'not' to lead such an important mission. Just why did you choose him to lead the expedition forces to Minbar, General?"

"It was felt that Jankowski exemplified the kind of commander needed for this kind of mission," Lefcourt explained. This had caught him off-guard and he struggled for an explanation that would appease the President. "The Minbari were an unknown entity. Most of our information about them was either incomplete or unsubstantiated rumor. The Centauri Ambassador knew very little about the Minbari and his people have had some contact with them over the last thousand years. He was cautious about that government. We needed to do a threat assessment."

"Yes, I understand that General," the President asked. "But why Jankowski? He wasn't an explorer type."

"He was chosen for the mission because we wanted someone aggressive enough to navigate through any difficulty that might have occurred. If he had encountered any Minbari vessel, and he was under orders not to encroach on their boarder…"

"Which he did," the President said curtly.

"...He was to immediately establish contact. But he was also the type not to back down if the contact turned hostile. One thing we've learned with our encounters with alien races including the Dilgar is that we can't back down to a threat."

"I agree, General. We shouldn't back down in the face of a threat. But this officer was a walking time bomb. He was not equipped to command this type of mission. He disobeyed orders. Earthforce men and women died because of it!"

He stood ramrod straight as he defended a choice he had personally made. "Madame President, the mission was a success beyond our wildest expectations," Lefcourt said.

"And nothing says 'winner' like success?" she snapped. "General, when we play the great game, we either win or we die. We can't afford to be stupid. We were lucky this time. There are people, the Centauri, the Drazi, even the Narn, waiting for us to make mistakes. This choice of yours had all of the makings of a disaster. Frankly, I'm surprise we didn't get into a war with them."

"Yes, Madame President."

"We need to change our protocols on military exploration. We need more training, and people with more common sense leading those expeditions, Do you understand me, General?

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Good. We'll discuss this in more detail later. What I want to know now is what your thoughts concerning this impending visit by the ruler of the Minbari?"

"Well, Madame President…"


	4. Chapter 3

_**Chapter Three **_

_**Truth-Within Truth - Within Truths**_

_**On route to Earth:**_

It was late evening on the Grand Sharlin _Valen'tha_. During this time, there were few people moving about and it was at these times Delenn of Mir loved walking through the majestic halls of the flagship of the Minbari Federation. It gave her a sense of serenity. Surprisingly, Dukhat was waiting for her as she turned the corner following her usual pattern that everyone knew she preferred.

"Delenn, walk with me," ordered Dukhat.

Turning swiftly, he headed for the bridge. Delenn quickly followed almost struggling to keep up with the rapidly healing leader accelerated pace.

"Is it true that you spoke to the Vorlons for the last time?" she dared to ask.

Her leader smiled although she couldn't see it. "I've been waiting for you to ask that question for a long time," Dukhat said with all seriousness. "Have I intimidated you so much that it took you months simply to ask what has been on your heart for so long?"

"As you've said, patience is a virtue," she answered defending herself.

"But procrastination is not," he countered, "and neither is fear. That is something that I must teach you, because one day there may come a time when you will have to lead with your mind, not your heart. Now to answer your question, I've not said that, I've spoken to the Vorlons for the last time."

"But you did speak to them."

"Yes, but not for the '_last'_ time," he countered. "I've said for the '_final'_ time. There is a difference."

Delenn was perplexed. "If there is such a difference, I would like for you to perhaps enlighten me."

"Enlightenment is a three-edged sword," he told her. "The Vorlons have left for the Rim and they will never come back. What this truly means for us, none of the younger races knows, but before they left they have imparted to me much information and it has taken me time to digest it all like a large meal."

"Is that why you have kept yourself so isolated during our travel to Earth?"

"Of course."

"Have you spoken to the others of the Grey Council?" she ventured to ask.

"Of course not."

"Then, if I may be so bold, why speak to me of this first?"

Dukhat smiled. "I do so because you represent the future of the Minbari leadership. Most of us are too set in our ways. We've done the same things for so long that we are afraid to change. The Vorlons are much the same way. But they've changed and I believe we can also. It'll be hard but, I think we shall be the ones to lead the way."

"To lead what?"

He stopped and faced her, his eye searching for something. "I don't know, yet," he said smiling. "I'll think of something."

Now she was smiling back. "I suspect you've already thought of something."

"I'm not saying I have. I'm not saying I haven't."

_He turned and continued walking towards his destination with Delenn in tow. His destination was revealed when the two Minbari leaders entered the spacious bridge. To their right the Council was already gathered there. And to their left the bridge crew continued at their stations trying hard not to gawk at the power present on their watch._

The Shai Alyt in command bowed to Dukhat. We will meet our Earth escorts in thirty standard minutes."

"Excellent," said Dukhat. He turned and continued his conversation with Delenn, raising his voice loud enough for all to hear now that he had a captured audience. He was in lecture mode now and nothing would stop him until he was finished. "The Vorlons are creatures of order and their entire philosophy of existence is or was based on this one truth. How they came to this, I don't know but they became obsessed with it. We have followed this one truth as well. Order. It has kept us safe but that very pathway has kept us from becoming what we could be. We've tried to be so much like the First Ones that there are many of us who believe we are the next ones in line to become as they are. We arrogantly pattern our ships so that the other races know that soon we will join the ranks of First Ones. One day, we may, but we are not there yet as recent events have so aptly shown us. We have become complacent, content in our own superiority and in doing so we are becoming stagnant while the other races are struggling and moving on, unaware of how '_great_' we are," he added sarcastically. "Think of this as a test for us, the first of many to come. We are going to talk to these people about our mutual adversaries."

"But why are we going there?" Shai Alyt Shakiri asked. "They should have come to us. They did after all invade our territory."

Dukhat couldn't resist the urge to roll his eyes. "No, they didn't invade," he clarified. "The Earth people didn't cross our borders, not officially, but they were, shall we say, curious enough about us to come close." He smiled. "It's only fair that we return the favor. I'm just taking the first step. Besides, I want to know what they know about the attack on my ship," he growled. "I intend to explain to these reptilian creatures just how serious their mistake was!"

_**Sol System-Earth**_

_**EarthDome: Geneva, Switzerland**_

"They're here," Senator Morgan Clark said to everyone. "Took them long enough," he grumbled. The large screen showed the image of the three huge space vessels slowly entering into Earth orbit. The center vessel was slightly larger than the escorts but the escorts were estimated to be about sixteen hundred meters along and bristling with weaponry. The other capital ship was about two hundred meters larger. All of them however, were endowed with a grace and power that no Earthforce ship could compete with. "So these are the mysterious Minbari everyone is so enamored over. I will admit they do know how to make an entrance."

"Yes, they know how to do that," President Elizabeth Levy agreed as she studied the main view screen. "I lost count. How many delegates are in the ballroom?"

"So many that they can barely move. We may have to have to move this outside in spite of security. There're representatives here from just about every government in known space, from every planet I can think of. They all want to meet with the Minbari in person. We had to add more security just to keep everyone in line."

Levy and a few others were concerned but impressed by the furor that this visitation was causing. These aliens commanded respect even from the Centauri and Narn. Constantly at one another's throats, even they were acting civilized, at least for the moment. Both governments hated each other with a passion and the fact they were being pleasant set the President on edge.

Fifteen minutes later, the Minbari shuttle could be seen on final approach. Flanked by two Starfury escorts, the Minbari shuttle landed majestically in complete silence. Envious Earthforce representatives stared at the strange blue vessel as they tried to divine the power source used by the Minbari aliens.

A tight security was being maintained at the landing area. No one wanted an accident, not with the Leader of the Minbari about to set foot on Earth for the first time, therefore none of the other alien representatives were present with the sole exception of the Centauri Ambassador Londo Mollari. It was a great honor in and of itself and he knew it. His status among his people had risen significantly and the once – reviled posting of Ambassador to Earth Alliance was now a coveted post. Trapped in a position he never really wanted, he was now fighting to keep it.

Londo was the one whose initial warnings had been largely ignored by General Lefcourt and the other expansionists that had ordered Captain Michael Jankowski to the Minbari border in the first place. Evidently, his somewhat insulting warning was more accurate than the generals had accredited and as such he, as the Centauri representative to Earth, was allowed to be among the first to meet this mysterious leader as a kind of unacknowledged peace offering. The Centauri had been bouncing for the last hour, getting on everyone's nerves so much so that President Levy gritted her teeth more than once to keep from saying something rather rude and insulting.

The Minbari shuttle was rather large and carried a fairly large number of delegates. The ship looked vaguely organic, almost fishlike in design although it was not organic in the least. After a few moments the transport powered down and a door opened. Four huge Minbari males exited each carrying small cache of hand-held weapons. The largest one walked directly to the nearest soldier and presented it to surprised Human.

Neroon of the Warrior caste bowed and said in halting English, "you-responsible to protect us." He bowed again and the other warriors walked up to other soldiers and said the same thing.

The message was clear. No one in their right mind could miss the importance of what had just been done. This was a matter of honor in the same way as their ships opened their gun ports to honor others in First Contact situations. Earth-Land Security was now being held fully responsible for the health and welfare of their leader. If anything happened Earth would be held responsible. The Major in charge accepted the responsibility placed upon him.

Three more Minbari exited the craft; the first was a tall, elder Male. The next was a female of regal appearance and the last was undoubtedly the leader. He was tall, somewhat thin and very distinguished-looking, handsome in the Minbari way. All of them had prominent bone-crests and they were all bald. However the smiling leader sported a goatee.

"I thought you said that the Minbari didn't have any hair," Levy whispered to a twitching Londo.

"I've always been told that they didn't have hair," he answered softly. "Apparently I was somewhat misinformed, yes?"

"Yes," she whispered back. Then she moved forward to greet the approaching Minbari.

A few moments later, the two leaders were standing face-to-face. Cameras transmitted live the momentous event now unfolding for the entire world and beyond to see. He gracefully bowed and she mimicked his movements.

"President Levy. It is good to finally meet you," he said in very passable English, surprising the Humans listening. "I am Satai Dukhat leader of the Minbari Federation and Protectorate states. Allow me to present to you my aides Cadroni and Delenn." It was a formal greeting that Levy had been brief on concerning Minbari culture.

Now it was her turn. "On behalf of the Earth Alliance, I greet you, Most Honored."

Now the Minbari smiled back. "You've been studying, Madame President."

"As have you," she replied. "You speak our language well."

"I suspect I am improving every day. For the last few months, the Vree and especially Centauri have been very helpful to me in my work and for this I thank them," he said looking a Londo for an instant. To the side, Londo's smile nearly split his face in two. "I wanted to make sure that our talks would be face-to-face without the need of an interpreter," he continued. "I have been studying the people who helped to save my life while sending a small squadron of warships so close to my borders," he flippantly relied.

Half the delegation including Mollari blanched, while the others went stone-faced.

For a moment his face went dark. Then he began smiling that politicians smile once more. "The Minbari have a saying. "Truth is a three-edged sword. There is my truth, your truth and the truth. Let us begin with the truth," he said. "You were spying. But that is not important right now because apparently the universe chose that specific time for our people to meet." He bowed again, far deeper than before and then presented her with a small gift. "Thank you for saving my life," he whispered to her. "The others would have destroyed my ship if it weren't for your, shall we say probing our borders. The right time, the right place." He straightened. "Madame President, we have much to discuss."

_**Katratzi: Seat of Power of the Scarran Empire**_

Emperor Staleek, supreme leader of the Scarran Empire stood up and growled slowly as he once more watched the recordings of his small squadron's skirmish with the unknown aliens. A Scarran battleship and two cruisers – completely destroyed in a matter of microts. The enemy ships were unusual in design, very organic-like, carrying enough firepower to destroy one of his long-ranged warships and their escorts. However, what interested him more was the report concerning the discovery of space-dwelling Humans.

"Once again, John Crichton has deceived us," he rumbled. The seven-foot tall humanoid-looking reptilian was angry. "His species is more advanced than we were led to believe."

"In hindsight was there any doubt?" asked War Minister Ahkna. "Look around us." As with the Emperor, the War Minister shared a vaguely humanoid appearance. Thousands of years of genetic manipulation had changed many of the so-called regal class into something that looked different than the classic more reptilian-like Scarran physique. "Everything he has done in the last three cycles has proven beyond a doubt that he is far more than what he has claimed to be." The female Scarran stood regally before her Emperor. "He's more dangerous than he anticipated. If he does not possess the knowledge of wormhole weapons, he does know how to travel through them safely. That alone would give us an advantage over every known race. We could destroy the Peacekeepers once and for all and turn our full attention to the Nebari."

The Emperor barely heard the War Minister. "I am more concerned with the race that destroyed my ships. They have destroyed ships of the Empire and I will not stand for it! They are a threat that is to be eliminated."

"What of the Humans?" asked Ahkna. "Shall we eliminate them?"

"No," the Emperor answered. "Their home world is to be spared until we discover the truth."

"And which truth is that?" asked his War Minister, "that his people may have the secrets to wormhole technology and weapons, or the fact that they may have the answer to our problem?"

Emperor Staleek's body temperature rose significantly as he thought about the little Human that constantly outwitted the best, most powerful being in local space, including himself. "A curse on John Crichton and his entire race! If his planet has _Crystherium Utilia_, then we will have their world."

"Crichton called it the Bird of Paradise," Ahkna answered haughtily. She tilted here head slowly. "If they are like him, then his people will fight and they were not as weak as we were led to believe."

"Then we'll kill them until they surrender, or die as a species. But the planet is to be spared until we confirm the presence of the flower. If it is there then we must spare no expense to take them. If the flower is not found, then we will subjugate their world. This species will never again be allowed into venture into space, especially if Crichton is the rule rather than the exception."

"That is standard procedure."

"A procedure that has served us well," Staleek acknowledged. "We will use their as a base of operations in that area of space and then we shall extend our domination of that part of the galaxy."

"I want four battle groups and enough equipment and supplies to establish and support an independent colony for three cycles to leave as soon as possible. Did our long-ranged ship find a suitable world to be used as a base of operations?"

"Yes, my Emperor," answered the War Minister. The Female Scarran's thoughts focused on the numbers of ships about to be deployed. A full battle group consisted of four Dreadnaughts, eight battleships, sixteen heavy cruisers, sixteen light cruisers, twenty-four frigates and four light screening destroyers. That was a huge number of ships travelling that far past Tormented Space.

At least a dozen cargo-transports would be required as support would mean that whoever was in charge had all the requirements needed to carve out and establish a small empire of their own – if the person was strong and ruthless enough. "I must point out that it will take them a cycle to get there at hetch six and they will be alone in territory that we've not yet explored. And I will add that this must be done in secret, or the Peacekeepers will attempt to take advantage of our lack of patrols."

The emperor gave his underling a look that chilled her soul. "I am no fool, Ahkna. I understand the stakes better than you. The Peacekeepers are afraid of us as Grayza so eloquently demonstrated, but that fear could turn into war."

"Then they will lose."

"You state the obvious, but that is not part of my plan for now," he told her. "You're not looking at the big picture. Whether Crichton knows about wormhole travel is debatable, but he does know how to use wormholes as weapons." The destruction of the battle cruiser proved that beyond a doubt. We are vulnerable and I will not tolerate that. The Empire needs to expand or die. We need to expand the empire further, past the uncharted territories and Tormented space, obtain resources, and find the exact location of Earth."

"Then, who will lead this expedition?"

"You will, War Minister," he answered surprising her. She appeared so pleased that he almost smiled. Then, he did but it was as predatory as he could make it and she nearly jumped back. "You will be in charge and answer only to me. You will take one of our _Crystheriums_ and determine if it can in survive on Earth. Once the colony is established, I want the aliens that destroyed my ships crushed and their leaders lying at my feet. Ahkna, all the power that you've dreamed of will be yours." He pointed his finger at her. "But there is a price for your glory," he added. "You have failed me once with Scorpius and again with your inability to keep Crichton and his band of criminals from escaping Katratzi, especially after what they did to us! If you fail this time, I will use your skull as a feeding bowl."

Scarraus might have been the home world of the Scarran race but the moon of Katratzi was their seat of power. The destruction of the mutated _Crystherium Utilia_, a flower whose extract literally enhanced the Scarran's mental and cognitive abilities had brought the Emperor under the increased scrutiny of the Scarran Hierarchy. As soon as they had heard the reports concerning other Humans, the pressure was on Staleek to find Earth and discover if the flower was indeed present there in some form. If it were, then DNA studies would discover the potency and effectiveness of the Earth plant. The Hierarchy demanded results as soon as possible and the Emperor would do his best to comply. But there was more. The Hierarchy was livid. A Human was held responsible for nearly destroying the Scarran seat of Power, an embarrassment and threat that could not, would not be tolerated. If Peacekeepers had done this, they'd already be at war. The leadership had demanded revenge upon the world that dared to spawn such a creature that personified the man called John Crichton.

"I will not fail you."

"You've said that before," he hissed. "See that you don't." Visibly calming, he relented a bit. "You will have three heavy combat divisions of Charrids to accompany this expedition. Do not squander them, or your Kaldish technicians," he warned her.

"What if the flower does exist?"

"Then inform me, take the planet and keep it with all of the resources you have. I will send re-enforcements as soon as I can. This is a high priority mission. Now go and prepare – my wife."

"Your – your wife?"

"Yes. I have chosen you become the wife of the Emperor," he growled. "We will be married before you leave." He turned his gaze on her. "Don't give me that look. You've always wanted this; so much power handed to you. But beware the price of deception increases with the proximity to the throne. The punishment for failure or betrayal will be most – intense."

"Duly noted," she said without a trace of fear.

The future bride turned and started screaming orders, completely missing the steely-eyed glare her leader was giving her. He didn't trust his wife-to-be as far as he could throw her and now he had given the third most powerful leader of the Empire enough power to utterly destroy herself. All he had to do was to wait.

He sat on his throne and opened his communications signaler. "Send for Rylack," he ordered.


	5. Chapter 4

_**Chapter Four**_

_**The World called Earth**_

_**Earth Alliance – Sol system:**_

_**Private diplomatic quarters-Hyatt Regency Ontario West**_

"If a planet could personify the word '_alien'_ then that planet's name would be called Earth," Dukhat mused. It was a light-hearted jest, not laced with any hint of malice.

"Or Terra," Delenn added echoing her leader's mood.

"Or Sol," Cadroni piped in.

As for Dukhat, the Minbari male was sitting on one of those huge soft long chairs at the Humans seemed to be so thoroughly enamored with. Delenn sat on another sofa near to him.

Branmer was situated on the other side of the room quietly looking out of the huge window overlooking the city of Old Ontario. Here, he could see thousands of Humans walking around performing their various tasks. The scenes before him seemed chaotic but so familiar to what he would have seen in any large city on Minbar. At the same time it was different and those differences clashed with the familiar. It was quite disconcerting to him. "When I first stepped foot on this planet," he started softly, "I was stunned by the variety of physical variations so prominently displayed by their species. But, from what I've seen…" He stopped short. "These people are so strange. I must confess that I've never seen anything like this planet. I don't have anything to compare it to, and from what I understand what I've so far seen doesn't even begin to represent the variety on this world. The different climates, the mix between cities and wildlife – there are so many different types of plants and animals on this world."

"And too much water."

"Far too much," Dukhat agreed. "But," he said, "the mountains do remind me somewhat of home."

"This does not remind me of home," Cadroni said. He poured himself a glass of water. "they remind me of what home is not. I must confess that I am sick of all of these ambassadors wanting to be our friends. And that Centauri…"

"Londo," everyone chimed in.

"He represents the reason why we should go home and never step foot outside our borders again!"

There was a gentle laughter from everyone inside the room which forced him to join in.

"You must acknowledge that his constant chatter was useful," announced Dukhat. "He gives us a better idea about the Centauri as do the other ambassadors. However, I must also admit that President Levy and her entourage held my attention far longer than I thought possible."

"Yes," agreed Delenn. "She was a most interesting person to speak to. I found her candor refreshing. It was strange that I seemed most comfortable in her presence. However, I did not like the presence of the telepaths," she said. "But that mattered little since they have no real understanding of our language as of yet. Cross species telepathy takes time. And President was most apologetic."

"They don't trust us?" Dukhat asked. "And why should they?"

"They should," Branmer said with certainly.

"Why?"

"Because we are Minbari," he answered with conviction. "We stand between the darkness and the light."

Dukhat laughed. "These people have no idea what that means, Branmer." Branmer started to flush and Dukhat raised both of his hands in supplication. "I do not mean to insult you, my friend. But, this is a first contact – for all of us. We cannot assume anything even if it is as obvious as the bone-crests on our heads. We understand. They don't. But as a whole, I think these past few days went well for all concerned."

"I agree," Cadroni said. But, I am angry that no one has been able to identify the race that attacked us. They must originate from some distance away, far outside our local races, travels and explorations. We need to find them and punish them for their arrogance."

Dukhat smiled coldly. "In time, we will find them. However they seemed more interested in the Humans. We were simply in the way and that disturbs me."

"Satai Dukhat," began Delenn. "Despite their attacking us, this is primarily a Human problem. When we find these creatures and explain to them the error of their ways we can leave the remains for the Humans to deal with. The matter will be settled."

"You think so?" Dukhat asked. He shook his head. "I don't. A door has been opened that can't easily be closed again."

Branmer moved towards the sofa and sat. It was clear however that something was weighing on him. He lowered his head and composed himself. He would not look up until he finished speaking. "Satai Dukhat," he began. "You've never acted like this before. Since before the accident, you have been isolated. And your actions and attitude with the Humans has been unprecedented. As your friend among friends, I ask you; what is wrong?"

Dukhat's eyes focused on him. They were haunted and Branmer felt uncomfortable as his leader continued to stare at him. "Delenn noticed my discomfort as well these past few months. Understand that I have seen into the eyes of a Vorlon and nothing, _nothing_ is the same anymore," he whispered. "How could I not be changed, even as the Vorlons have been changed?"

"Can you tell us of your experience?"

"It was always my intention to do so, my friends," Dukhat replied. "I needed time to understand it myself before I could explain it to anyone else." Now he stood up and pointed out the window towards the mountains beyond. "The road of leadership leads one down many lonely paths. Dark truths can destroy the soul of a people unless that leader can navigate those pathways wisely. That is what I have been thinking about. I have seen the possibilities presented to me by the Vorlons but I didn't fully understand them until I had the time to properly assimilate them." He picked up a strangely shaped piece of greenish fruit, a native of Earth. "Cadroni, what is this?"

"The Earth people call it a pear. We've determined that it is safe for us to eat. It is quite flavorful."

"Is it now?" Dukhat bit into it. "Interesting flavor, but not bad at all," he said after a few moments. "We've discussed the diversity on this planet. Now, with that in mind, I shall tell you of something even more diverse." He glanced around. "Is this place secured?"

"Yes, Neroon made sure of that," answered Cadroni. The stealth device carried by the warrior was efficient enough to prevent any ease dropping and satellite surveillance with equipment powerful enough to penetrate into these quarters. They will not see or hear anything. They were quite safe from any prying eyes or ears.

The lights were turned off.

Gathered together, a single candle was lit. Its soft light was the only thing that seemed important at this moment in time.

"Then listen well, my friends," Dukhat said softly. "The universe is as diverse as this planet that we are on right now. The vision from the Vorlons has shown me great and terrible things," whispered Dukhat. "I have seen my death."

"No," Delenn nearly screamed. "You cannot die! Not now!"

The words came bubbling out before Dukhat could stop her. The memory of his near death exploded outwards before she could quell it. Branmer seemed ready to join her.

"Enough," he demanded. "Listen. I have seen my death but I am not dying now! I will explain to you. Let those who have ears listen." There was a momentary silence as he gathered his thoughts. "In the last few months, there have been times when I have found myself in a state of confusion. The images that the Vorlons gave me were disturbing. My friends, I have seen other universes, other timelines, convergent-divergent realities. You asked me why we are here. The answer is, we are here because of the Humans and what their relationship is to us," he told them. "Not just here," he said using his hands to encompass everything, "but everywhere." He expected them to be confused and they were. "In many of those places where my mind was taken, we were at war with the Humans. We slaughtered them, destroyed their worlds including this one and were the poorer for it. In other realities, others came to help them, fellow Humans and their allies from other parts of the galaxy unknown to us or even other dimensions. They defeated us, in some cases slaughtered our people." He continued speaking for an hour to a more shocked, outraged and horrific audience. "There had been opportunities to change the course of the fate of our people, but we couldn't and our people suffered, either in their glory or in their shame. Of all of the visions shown to me, in only a few did we truly prosper."

"These creatures?" an incredulous Branmer asked. "Defeat us? Never!" he roared. "They are nothing. Less than nothing!"

"Yet, these less than nothing creatures as you call them, will be the driving force among our people," Dukhat countered. "And there is more. The Vorlons did not intend to show me everything, but in these past few months I have begun to piece together what they did not want me to know. They were ashamed and I didn't know why until recently. But in everything, in most of the realities that I was allowed to see, there was a single catalyst. There was a single event that caused so much death to our people and the Humans; something that the Vorlons could have prevented but choose not to because it served their own ends."

"What was that event?" growled Branmer. He already suspected what it was.

"My death," Dukhat said simply.

His friends were stunned, but not surprised.

"During the first contact with the Humans, in every case, that was the catalyst that started the war. I was supposed to die. And the Vorlons knew. That is why they showed me the exact place where I stood when I died. But I lived, because I was not exactly where I was supposed to be in this life when the _Valen'tha _was attacked."

"But I don't understand," Cadroni said. "The Humans did not attack us."

"This is not those other realities or universes but the river still flows in the same direction. The pattern remains the same. I believe the universe allowed someone else to take their place. The Humans didn't attack us and I am alive. In the other realities they mistakenly did and our people went insane and nearly destroyed billions. It was a First Contact gone wrong."

Delenn stared at him, open-mouthed. "You knew! That's why you tried to stop our ships from honoring the newcomers with our traditional salute."

"Yes, I knew of the possibility," Dukhat confessed. "I admit trying to alter my fate. It's a failing but one I could not stop from attempting. Call it, call it a weakness I was unable to conquer," the leader smirked.

"It is a heavy burden to know such possibilities and the fates of so many." Branmer looked thoughtful and worried. "How can you know all of this and remain sane? To know too much invites madness!"

"Life instead of death brings an appreciation for life," Dukhat told them. "Why are we here, you ask? I intend to change what so easily destroys us. I will turn our world upside down and by doing so change the course of our destiny. I will redress the balance. We will no longer be 'the light', but 'the Grey'.

"But how did the Vorlon show you these possibilities that you've spoken of?" asked Delenn. "When did this happen?"

Dukhat seemed to forget that his companions were there as he began talking. "I was blessed to meet the Vorlons for the first and last time, three months before we began our journey to Z'Ha'Dum. The one called Kosh came to my quarters that night. I had been awakened by a strange sound, like the tinkling of bells or chimes blowing in the wind. But there was no wind and when I arose, they were there. Two Vorlons seem to be guarding the third. Those two were beautiful, angels of light looking like Minbari but with wings. They glowed so brightly that I had to shield my eyes. The center one looked like the legends of old and there was no mistaking them for what they were. The center one, whose name I learned was Kosh said my name."

"I am here," I answered.

"Learn," he said. I then passed out and found myself in a large room with my father."

"But…"

"Yes, I know. He's passed beyond the veil long ago. The image that I saw was actually Kosh in my mind. It was his way of speaking t me in a form that was familiar to me. We spoke for hours. I learned of the plans that both the Vorlons and Shadows had for the younger races as they prepared to leave for the Rim. He told me of the responsibilities of the two First Ones and that their responsibilities had ended. It was time for the younger races to grow up and take up the mantle of order and that would surely follow in their passing. As we talked however, I understood that he was passing on far more information than I could consciously perceive. He told me twice that the Vorlons had made so many, many mistakes and that he wished that we would do better. He told me how the Vorlons had isolated this part of space in order to protect us, although I now believe that portion of his story was a deception on his part to cover the real truth. I received so much information that I couldn't process it and as I said before, it is my belief that I was given more than was intended. But I needed time and I needed to find out if what was told to me was the truth. That is why I chose to go to Z'Ha'Dum myself to find out if the Shadows had truly gone. The year and a half away from home would have also given me the space I needed to better understand what I was shown. But obviously, we couldn't even make it out of Minbari space. The universe conspired to keep us here. My 'missed' death was proof enough that what I had seen was real and not just my imagination or my sanity fleeing from me. The Human ship was identical to what I saw in my dreams. The Scarran ships however, were not," he growled. "The Vorlons and Shadows are gone and we must make our way without their help. We must join with others as well and we start on this great journey." He paused. "I will not allow us to remain isolated. Besides, to remain isolated is to invite madness, as Branmer so delicately put it. Madness is a shadow that flees in the presence of company. You are my friends," he told them. "I will rely on you to keep me from 'losing it' as the Humans would say."

The others looked at one another.

"We will do our best to keep you and our people safe," Delenn finally said.

"There are more things that you will be told," Dukhat said. "Our people will be afraid and they may even come to hate their leader when the truth comes out."

"we will all be afraid," said Delenn. "But that will not stop us from going forward and we will continue to support you. You are not alone," she whispered.

"My friends, I thank you. Now, who wants to meet with Londo, once more?" he smirked.

_**The Scarran command center-Katratzi:**_

"So you, finally decided to grace me with your presence, Rylack," the Emperor snapped. He wasn't irritated by the delay of his relative however he still had to maintain his authority in front of the others.

The younger Scarran bowed slightly, deferring to the Emperor but not by too much. It was foolish, even dangerous to show weakness so the deference was just enough to acknowledge his superior and his elder relative. "It took almost a monthen to get here," he answered. Rising up to his full stature he glanced around the hall and hissed his displeasure. The War Coordinator was in shock by the damage he had observed since arriving back at Katratzi.

Emperor Staleek knew what he was thinking. The most secured Scarran facility in the galaxy. Our security, worthless. Ahkna's measures, worthless against a true adversary."

John Crichton's arrogance bringing a nuclear bomb into the heart of the Scarran seat of power had bordered on insanity. Indeed, by all accounts the man probably was insane, but sane enough to get away with nuking the Scarrans most prized possessions.

"The rumors were false. Scorpius was not at Lonska," Rylack said. "John Crichton and his leviathan had not visited the system. The lead has one cold for the moment."

"Unacceptable," Staleek growled. "We have all been made fools of. Ahkna's security was less than useless. But I am responsible for the condition that Katratzi is in. A prime plant was destroyed. The Hierarchy is furious that it was destroyed and the perpetrator managed to escape our forces." The Scarran forced himself to calm down. "All of us were in some ways incompetent," he admitted. "We allowed our guard to be let down because we thought of him as just another Sebacean disruptor. But he knows too much. He knows about the flowers and their importance, I'm sure of it. He knows our weaknesses and that of the Peacekeepers. Add this to his ability to escape from just about any trap, his knowledge of wormholes, and his unnatural ability to destroy anything that gets in his way and the threat becomes clear."

"Crichton is not Sebacean," Rylack answered. "But he 'is' a disruptor with superior training and a continuing threat. His presence in this sector of space isn't an accident as he would like for us to believe and if we carry this supposition to its logical conclusion…"

"Then we must assume that he is a vanguard for an invasion force by Humans," the Emperor finished. "Everything we think we know about him is a lie. We were led to believe that his world was primitive. Reports say otherwise."

"Explain."

"The Humans are a space-faring species with significant numbers of ships, and crews to utilize them. Crichton's ability to make a mockery of both the Peacekeepers and ourselves, and his knowledge of wormhole technology makes his entire species a threat that needs to be controlled or destroyed."

"You have found his world," Rylack said. It wasn't a question.

"The Emperor shook his head once. "We have found the region of space where his world is most likely located. It is passed uncharted and tormented space. One of our long-range expeditions discovered it in their journeys. I will send you the reports. Study them well."

"I will. Do you wish for me to find and subdue his world?"

"No, that responsibility will fall to the War Minister, my wife."

"You married her?" asked a surprised Rylack.

The emperor frowned, not necessarily happy at having her as his wife. She was a political necessity that would serve his purpose for now. "I believe in keeping my enemies close. This mission is critical and despite her utter incompetence in keeping Scorpius and Crichton on a short leash, I do not fully blame her. I blame all of us for our shortsightedness. With the forces I have assigned to her to complete this mission she should have little difficulty. She is aggressive enough to get the job done, of that I have little doubt. But she needs a leash and that is what you will provide. I will supply you with a combat group to supplement hers. She is in command however if she goes beyond her mission parameters, kill her and bring me back her skull.

"I will prepare immediately."

"Not yet," Staleek told him. "I have another mission for you first. When you complete that mission, then you will catch up with Ahkna's combat group. Support her in every way possible unless she betrays me. I will give you the means to do so. Try not to let her kill you, nephew."

"I intend not to."


	6. Chapter 5

_First comments: TDK said "Dear lord what Fic had the Vorlon's run into the Asgard the mere thought of it brings a smile to my face."_

**_Sadly, Bob Regent the author of 'Consequences of Actions', didn't get to that portion of the story. In truth we were discussing that and some of the possibilities as related to that story. We got as far as the Vree-Asgard meeting in Part II of the story. The idea of the Vorlons screwing with the Asgard gave me goose bumps as well. What could have been done with that…. Anyway I hope that he will continue the story one day. We shall see._**

_Louie Pastiche said: Not bad, Al! Although, you still seem to be confusing "perimeter" with "parameter."_

**_I believe I have corrected that. Thanks for the catch. _**

_The Sithspawn said: Interesting changes here, especially liked Staleek's proposal to Akhna. (Very romantic if I do say so). Look forward to see what other changes will be added in coming chapters. _

_**They were your suggestions that I took to heart. Scarran politics is - bad. This match has nothing to do with love whatsoever. Are the Peacekeepers any better? We'll see.**_

_**Chapter Five**_

_"__Sebaceans__ once had a god called __Djancaz-Bru__. Six worlds prayed to her. They built her temples, conquered yet one day she rose up and destroyed all six worlds. And when the last __warrior__ was dying, he said, 'We gave you everything, why did you destroy us?' And she looked down upon him and she whispered, 'Because I can.'__"_

_**EarthDome**_

_**Two days later:**_

"If Satai Dukhat had been born on Earth, I might have voted for him myself," Morgan Clark told the President, who promptly choked on the water she had chosen to drink just at that inconvenient moment.

"We should call in the physicians," Senator Santiago announced with more than a trace of humor. "Morgan's gone mad."

The head of the powerful Ways and Means Committee flushed crimson. "Dukhat is a consummate politician," he said with an attitude of one who hated to admit anything. "I acknowledge his political talents. When compared to the Centauri, he's like a breath of fresh air. I can understand his motives and manipulations. It's refreshing."

"You also liked the idea that they would share their antigravity technology with us," Senator Sheridan smirked. "Like that idea myself. But it brings us back to the central point. Can we trust these people?"

"They helped us when our people were in trouble," the President said. "They came here in peace. They've openly shared their technology with us and they're more advanced than we; they haven't come with hat in hand."

"So, what's their real motive?" asked Santiago.

"They could be assessing our defensive capabilities," Sheridan told them. "We did defeat the Dilgar by ourselves and that alone shows how dangerous in a fight we'd be. They understand that we're starting to spread across the galaxy. It's a possibility that they may feel threatened by us."

"I don't think so," countered Morgan after a moment's pause, "for several reasons. Did you see, or rather not see their ships? Our best scanners couldn't even lock on to them. Those vessels have more firepower than we can imagine and we can't even see them unless they want us to. Next, is that every other races fears and respects them. Even the Centauri warned us about them. Next, they offered us technology they've had for generations. They've been in space for a thousand years, a point which is agreed to by everybody. Their fleet is rumored, again by everybody, to be huge. There is another rumor that they've been the leaders in an interstellar war that happened over a thousand years ago and they survived. There are a lot of burned out worlds out there that appears to support this. No," he summarized. "I don't think they feel threatened by us. What they did offer us is in effect closer military ties against a common enemy that we know nothing about and frankly that scares me."

"Go on," prompted Sheridan. He knew Morgan was on a roll and although devious, he was a more than able politician.

"I think they're worried about this new group of aliens and maybe we should be, too," said Levy.

"We should be more than just worried," Morgan said matter-of-factly. "The aliens that started all of this were interested in our ships, not theirs. The Minbari were only in the way. I believe we were the intended targets, not them. I just wish I knew about this wormhole technology they seemed so interested in."

"The military concurs with your conclusions," President Levy said. "They're requesting funds for a major buildup; new ships, new designs, a rush on the _Nova_ _X_ project, improved PPGs, the works."

"And who is going to pay for this?" snipped Morgan, "the Russian Consortium? The Canadian Northern league? The stellar corporations? Mars colony is acting up, screaming for more freedoms and independence, yet they can't even supply their own food. Proxima colonies are a breadbasket of the local colonies and they're still struggling. We don't have the money for the kind of rapid buildup they're proposing. It'll take time to add the gravity systems and configure to optimize our newer ships so that we can use the technology to best advantage."

"So you don't agree a buildup is necessary at this time?" Levy asked.

"At this time, no," Morgan answered. "Our forces are as strong as they've ever been. We handled the Dilgar and if these aliens come, we will fight and defeat them, too. However, I'll recommend that we add a little more for research and development."

"I'd recommend an increased patrol roster around the colonies and I respectfully request that we keep the Minbari in the loop," Senator Sheridan said, "especially near their territory."

"Agreed, gentlemen. My time is up," Levy said. "Increase the patrols and get some of our feelers to see if anything unusual is happening in alien space. We'll keep watch and see what happens."

"We're going to have to dig to get the funds for this."

"We haven't raised taxes in three years!"

"Well, Madame President, the time is nigh, as they say. I hesitate to use the 'T' word but things may get sour real quick and better to be safe and sorry. Besides, your numbers are high enough to survive the hike."

"Stop smiling too much, Senator Clark," suggested Levy. "The election's still three years away."

"The election's the farthest thing from my mind, Madame President."

Santiago's cough was loud enough to be heard through the double doors.

_**Peacekeeper Command: Sebacea:**_

Command Central, the very heart of the Peacekeeper control was a huge multi-tiered building that extended two hundred stories high and forty six levels deep complete with re-enforced bunkers and defensive systems that could defend large portions of the planet against orbital invasion. The city of twenty million was built around the massive structure, it being the focal point of the city. With a planetary population of twelve billion it reigned supreme as the most important structure on the planet. Ordinary Sebaceans were not allowed on its premises on pain of death. It could be compared to a holy shrine that controlled every faucet of Peacekeeper life.

Most, but not all, Sebaceans were Peacekeepers. Indeed that was what they have been bred for, to keep the peace in the galaxy. They were soldiers genetically designed to protect others. But somewhere down their thousands of years of existence, the Peacekeepers had lost their purpose. They no longer kept the peace by rendering justice, but the maintained the peace by dispensing punishment, terror, brutality and enslavement. The Sebacean people were bred and forced to become Peacekeepers. Those that were found unworthy were either exterminated or regulated to live out their lives as little more than servants.

The Peacekeepers associated with the many races in their territory but they were extremely xenophobic to the point that even extended contact with other species rendered one 'irreversibly contaminated'. That was a death sentence for the Peacekeeper discovered fraternizing with non-Sebaceans. Of course, this law was flexible as some Sebaceans Peacekeepers were more equal than others.

_**Intelligence Command:**_

Ten of the senior ranking Commandants sat around the table reading the latest reports of Scarran activity. Ten Admirals were also present and to their chagrin, Grand Chancellor Maryk, Supreme Commander had also decided to grace them with his presence. And with him present, that usually meant a sudden, permanent change in someone's command status. The discussion for today centered on the conflict at Collath between a Peacekeeper command carrier and a Scarran combat group. The Peacekeepers escaped however losses were calculated to be more than fifty two percent. Once again the Scarrans emerged as the overall victors, something that was becoming all too frequent occurrences. The council had been convinced for more than an hour before the Grand Chancellor would elect to speak.

"We need more information," Commandant Krolos demanded, ignoring the Grand Chancellor's glare as best he could. "If the Scarrans have indeed sent such a large force beyond Tormented Space, then we need to know why. This could be a diversionary tactic that will come back to hurt us in the future, or this could be the opening prelude of an attack on Peacekeeper territory."

"True, our disruptor was less informative than I would like," Commandant Triwyne stated. The elder, bald-headed was the most respected member of the council and the most dangerous. His war record was impeccable and few would dare to contradict him when he spoke. "However, when I add this report to others that we've been gathering for the last few mothens, I have come to the conclusion that it isn't an opening for an attack against us."

"Then enlighten us, please."

"First we must consider the size of the force being sent. Six dreadnaughts with a full compliment of support ships are indicative of a major assault against a power or powers unknown. Their direction however takes them away from any of our territories and they are traveling at maximum speed. The next point is that we've received reports that several cruisers were sent mothens earlier in that same general direction, and they have not returned. Next, War Minister Ahkna and War Coordinator Rylack are now traveling together. That means another two dreadnaughts and several battleships added to their fleet."

That caused several of the Commandants to shift nervously as they began to understand where this was leading up to.

"They're going on a conquest mission against someone that requires they have that much fire power at their disposal," said Commandant Brazlar. "We would be hard pressed to defend against that armada without significant backup from other sectors. Who are they trying to conquer and where are they located?" she demanded.

"We are not sure. Intelligence has been sketchy," Triwyne admitted. "But there have been rumors and if they are true..."

"Don't waste our time," the Grand Chancellor growled. "Where?"

"A planet called Earth, or more accurately, Earthforce."

A chill eased its way down Commandant Mele-on Grayza's spine.

"Never heard of it. Has a military sound to it."

"It may or may not be related to the home world of an individual called John Crichton."

"And who is this John Crichton person? What species is he?" demanded the Grand Chancellor."

"He calls himself a Human," Grayza announced with a venom that surprised some of the others. "Outwardly, he appears Sebacean, but he's not. John Crichton is the one whom planned to sell his wormhole technology to the Scarrans. He was the one who practically destroyed Katratzi singlehandedly."

That incident, yes. Maryk had heard of that. One individual was credited for the near destruction of the Scarran seat of power. In one stroke he had done more damage than a dedicated Peacekeeper assault force could have. Interesting. He wondered what the Earthforce culture was like to have been able to produce such an individual. The name implied that there was a command structure designed along Peacekeeper lines. What was equally surprising was that the Human escaped to tell the tale. "Emperor Staleek allowed him to escape?" That little stunt had surprised Peacekeeper Command and Maryk knew about that even if he did not know of the details.

"This is no ordinary alien," continued Grayza. "He has escaped numerous assaults by Command carriers; dozens of Peacekeepers have died when they've gone against him. He has resisted the probing of the Aurora chair. He's escaped Scorpius on several occasions. He is held responsible for the destruction of a command carrier and caused Peacekeepers to embrace of their irrevocably contaminated status. He has escaped and single-handedly killed Scarrans and he is believed to have destroyed a Scarran Dreadnought using wormhole technology. He has resisted Scarran mind probes and almost became co-ruler of the Free Sebacean colonies. The list of his exploits is endless."

The Grand Chancellor was silent. Some of the data he was aware of, other seemingly insignificant incidents had not caught his attention. It was his fault for not reading those reports carefully enough. That was about to change. "It seems impossible for one creature to do such damage. This disruptor; what resources are available to him?"

"Very little," Commandant Brazlar admitted. "Apparently, his base of operations is a Leviathan prison ship called Moya. His associates are fellow prisoners and a former Peacekeeper named Aeryn Sun whom he has seduced to his side. How this happened we are not sure at this time." His smile was imperceptible-almost. "Perhaps Commandant Grayza has more detailed information concerning his-abilities that she could share. He was her prisoner for a time, but he escaped. It was never really made clear as to how."

The female Peacekeeper shot him a look that promised revenge as soon as the opportunity arose. "John Crichton's ability to escape everything thrown at him is legendary."

"Perhaps you should have bound him up or something," suggested Triwyne.

_They knew! _One of the soldiers opened his or her mouth despite her warnings. Well, whoever it was, was a dead man.

"You should have killed him when you had the chance!" Brazlar snapped.

"He has the secret to wormhole weapons," she insisted. "His talents in evading or escaping captivity are legendary! This is a man who walked onto the Katratzi base with a nuclear device strapped to his body just to make that point."

"And he survived," the Grand Chancellor finished. "I would like to meet this man before I terminate him personally. What type of giant is he, that he is so fearless? Look at you. My best Commanders are afraid of him! I should give him your commands! Where is he now?"

"We are searching for him, but so far he has eluded us."

"Of course he has. Find him!" The Grand Chancellor sat back. "If this one Human is so dangerous and by all accounts from you he is, then the Scarrans cannot be permitted to capture his homeworld. The secrets they may possess could damage us even worse than we he already has. The planet EarthForce cannot be allowed to fall into their hands. Commandant Grayza, you will take your carrier, twenty others and the Celarrian Guard. Destroy the planet and the people before the frelled-up Scarrans discover its secrets and dominate the entire region."

The woman had to keep from smiling too much. Her recreation partner had just given her command of an armada. She knew he was being merciful to her because she was carrying his child. She was in her second quarter now and the pregnancy was progressing fast as was characteristic of her race. But-

"The Scarrans are mothens ahead of us and may already be at war with them," Commandant Krolos said. "We may be too late."

-But, was the baby really his or was the girl gestating inside her John Crichton's? She would know for sure in three weeks. What kind of child would a Nebari/ Sebacean hybrid mixed with Human produce? Would she have to strangle it the moment it was born? No, she wouldn't think about that now. She couldn't.

"If the Humans are as resourceful as this disruptor John Crichton then order Two-One is in effect. Earthforce is to be sanctioned by whatever means necessary. But leave the Scarran fleet alone." The grayed-haired Grand Chancellor glared back at the shocked commandants and captains in the room. "Better that a world dies, than to hand the galaxy to the Scarrans. Make no mistake; if the Scarrans find out the secret of wormhole weapons, we will be in a state of war and that is something I wish to avoid."

"With respect," Commandant Grayza said. "The Scarrans have become more aggressive and they are taking over system by system while we allow them to do so. If they have found the Crichton's home world, then conflict with the Scarrans will be inevitable. If EarthForce has not fallen, we should destroy that world. If the Scarrans have conquered them, then logic dictates that we should strike at them with everything we have."

"That will begin an open war we may not be able to win. We are finding ourselves outnumbered and outgunned. Our people are not adverse for another round of hardship. The Scarrans have been planning this for many cycles and all too soon they will start open actions instead of these little skirmishes."

"We are already at war with them," Commandant Brazlar replied coldly. "Every moment we waste is serving to strengthen the Scarrans and weaken us."

"We need time to prepare our defenses."

"Sir, a defensive strategy with the Scarrans will guarantee their victory, Commandant Androno said. "I recommend that we destroy the Scarran fleet near EarthForce and then sanction the planet. If it is done correctly, the Scarrans may never find out what happened. With that unknown factor hanging over them, they may not begin the war here, giving us more time to prepare."

"A bold plan," the grand Chancellor said. "Mindless, but bold. There is no way we could keep them from sending a hetch communication to their central command. The number of ships I'm sending isn't enough to destroy a fleet of that size. There is no way that they won't find out."

"But that information can be delayed long enough for us to strike at them here," interrupted Grayza. "It may be our best chance to remove the Scarran threat at our throats."

"Commandant Grayza, Follow my orders or I will get someone who will," he said dangerously. Then he sighed, something unheard of being done in front of his command. "What you don't know is that we have lost every single skirmish with the Scarrans in the last three monthens and the real war hasn't even begun. I have to consider what is best for the Peacekeeper nation. We might have to consider a truce before this gets too far out of hand."

"A truce with the Scarrans," Brazlar asked. "Sir, with respect, that's impossible."

"Follow my orders, or consider permanent retirement."

Brazlar's eyes hardened. In Peacekeeper society, retirement mean a shot to the head. What was just said was a blunt threat and he didn't like being threatened by anyone.

"Yes, Sir," said a submissive Grayza. However if the Grand Chancellor had seen her eyes, he would have felt a lot less comfortable than he did at the moment. "The Scarrans will accept no truce, only surrender," Grayza told him essentially defying his implied threat and she was pleased that she was being backed by the others in the room. "That would doom our people and this galaxy to their rule. With the wormhole weapons, they would be invincible."

"Then we may, for the sake of our people, need to initiate a limited surrender."

Grayza betrayed nothing, but inside she was shocked by such an admission. The Grand Chancellor was openly discussing surrender, and worse meant every word of what he was saying. "When these are the signs that all is lost, only then should we consider surrender."

He didn't even notice the tone in which she said those words. "Those signs are rapidly approaching," he admitted in all seriousness.

Again she was shocked. And she was disgusted. Despite his station, he was weak. "A military leader who broaches surrender," she whispered, "is not worthy of command."

"As a nation we will survive. In a war we will lose everything. I am thinking of the welfare of our people."

"No, you are not," she whispered just before she pulled out her weapon. "Death is preferable than subjugation under Scarran rule."

His eyes widen as he realized exactly before the woman carrying his child had said. "You haven't seen the reports. I…"

Before she could shoot him, Commandant Androno shot the former and somewhat surprised Grand Chancellor before he could say anything.

In this case, the truth did hurt.

"For dereliction of duty and cowardice in the face of the enemy," Androno formally announced as he put away his weapon.

"As senior officer I am now officially Grand Chancellor of Peacekeeper Command." Slowly he turned and stared at each and every member present, "Are there any objections?"

Silence.

"Is there anyone more senior than I to take command?" No one said anything. He was the most senior officer and he had performed his duty appropriately according to Peacekeeper tradition and rule of law.

"Commandant Grayza, you were correct concerning the Human disruptor. From the reports I've read, John Crichton is representative of his world. If his people are like him, and this is a strong possibility, then we dare not take a chance and must move carefully. Take all necessary equipment as you will be on your own without reinforcements for some time. Find EarthForce and sanction the planet, if it is necessary. I say this because there is a third option that our former Chancellor hadn't considered. If you can extract the secret of wormhole weapons before you destroy it, so much the better. Do everything in your power to destroy the Scarrans." She nodded and satisfied, he turned to the others. "But, if Earthforce has survived the Scarran assault and you believe that it may be advantageous, I want you to see if an alliance between them and Peacekeeper Command possible. If they survive and you consider them too much of a threat, then sanction their species. Meanwhile, we here will discuss our options in dealing with the Scarrans here. The times for skirmishes are over. We have a war to fight," he said. Now, let's prepare to win it."

_**Valen'tha on its return trip to Minbar**_

Dukhat awoke with a start. The Vorlons were gone and with it their protection. Never had the Minbari, indeed the rest of the galaxy been so alone. The time had come when the younger races would have to stand up on their own. Slowly he stood up and stretched lazily. There was food that had been left on the table for him and it was calling. It was nice to eat food from home after the time on Earth. Earth food was strangely appealing and he had sampled many of the local and exotic varieties and preparations, including something called peanut butter in which he found to be quite interesting, but sadly Delenn had refused to even look at it. The look on her face when she first saw it was hysterical and it took much strength not to burst out laughing. Even now he resisted the urge to chuckle at the memories. That's probably why he brought a few jars of it with him.

Honest laughter was so hard to come by. It was something to be treasured.

"Lights," he said.

The lights activated and quickly he dressed. Grabbing a tidbit he ate it quickly and finished preparing for the day's activities. It was these times of the day that he enjoyed the most. Here, he could be free to be himself without the need for pomp and circumstance that surrounded his people like a shroud. Sadly, time was short and the day long, he thought as he resigned himself to becoming the leader of the Minbari Federation again. Touching his wall communicator, he summoned Delenn and Branmer for their morning discussions.

"As you've called, so have we come," Branmer said formally before entering the room.

Delenn repeated the same and had to foresight to have brought several Minbari delicacies with her, something that both Branmer and Dukhat greatly appreciated.

"The Warrior Caste is unhappy with your agreement with the Earthers," said Branmer. "They believe that we can handle the new aliens without the aid of these primitives."

'_Well, the day has truly started,'_ Dukhat thought. "The warriors are restless," he answered. "So much so that they would start a fight with our neighbors if they could. He placed the food back on its plate and stood up, pacing the room. "The Shadows are gone and we've waited and prepared for a war that will never happen. Branmer, one of the reasons why I proposed to go to Z'ha'dum was to calm the fires growing within our warriors. We needed to begin to look forward to the future, not continue to be mired in the past."

"A warrior cannot retain the claim of being a warrior if he has nothing to prove himself against," countered Branmer. "It's one of the reasons why they are so eager to find these creatures that violated our territories and almost killed you."

"My friend, you and the warriors are forgetting one important fact. These aliens weren't after us."

"Does it matter, if they are coming through our territory?"

"I acknowledge your concerns, however remember that the Earthers have as much to be worried about as our territories and protectorates."

"They are arrogant and overly confident in their abilities," Delenn said. "Maybe we should have offered them our protection."

Much to her consternation, Dukhat started to laugh in her face. "Haven't you heard anything I said over the last few days, Delenn? We are connected to those primitives as Branmer calls them."

"Connected how?" she asked. "They are an interesting people, full of contradictions, but I see no connection between them and us. How can we be connected to them?"

"Yes," added Branmer. "How are they connected to us, unless you refer to our connection to the universe?"

Instead of answering, Dukhat stared through the small window into hyperspace. "Be careful of what you ask," he told them soberly. "Some answers can change you forever." Again, he had that look of a lost soul, something that both Branmer and Delenn couldn't fail to notice.

"Dukhat, whatever it is, you cannot carry this burden alone. Sharing always lightens."

"I agree," Branmer said. "We are your friends. She is your successor. Everyone knows that you've picked her," he quickly added. "We knew this when we came to her to decide the fate of those who attacked us and wounded you. Trust us and that trust will be well protected."

Dukhat nodded. "My friends," he said softly. "Life is hard, and secrets are even harder to keep." He was silent for a long time. Finally he decided that now was the time to unburden himself. "Then sit," he said. "It's time to learn a truth, a Vorlon truth that will touch you in ways you've never dreamed of before. It's a truth that can drive our people mad."

The three of them sat down. "We stand between the light and shadow. We are grey," he started. "But there are many shades of grey and most of these truths are not of our choosing. The triluminary is our most sacred relic of the time of the last Shadow war, a thousand years ago. It was carried by Valen himself to show us who he was, a Minbari not born of Minbari. Any Minbari that shares Valen's blood will cause it to respond. Delenn, you are a child of Valen."

"You knew that when you tested me in front of the others of the Grey Council," Delenn said. "You set that up so that they could see."

"Yes, I did. You are Valen's child as am I. Valen was a Minbari not born of Minbar. He saved us and we rewarded him by fearing his children and forcing him to leave our glorious presence," he announced sarcastically, "so that he wouldn't die by our hands."

"I know the story," Branmer said. "It was a shameful time for all of Minbar and our people."

"Valen was given to us in our time of need by the Vorlons. Valen was not Minbari. He was of Human stock."

The two Minbari sat up straight in utter shock.

"I can't be true," Branmer hissed. "Valen couldn't be Human! Those primitives could have never created the base or have such advanced knowledge. The Vorlons would have never condoned such an act of barbarity."

"Minbari never had bits of fur on their faces, like mine, until later after Valen's children mixed into the Minbari population. We have Human genes making us something else, something new. But in the process, the Vorlons made an error and because of that, we have been slowly losing our ability to reproduce. In the last hundred years that condition has been accelerating. Our culture, and martial traditions and relative isolation from other castes have slowly added to the diminishing our people."

"But why would the Vorlons do such a thing?" demanded Delenn. She was sill in shock.

"I believe it was an error, some small thing that was overlooked in their calculations." He sighed. "That's in the past now. But you now know that Minbari souls are being reborn in Humanity. Many, many of our people have carry Valen's blood. The Humans are our cousins."

"No!" screamed Branmer. "This can't be! This can never be brought to light to our people. This Human blood line must be spread across our entire population. I – I wished you had never told me!"

"Secrets change lives," Dukhat warned. "Be careful what you desire to know."

"You were right," Branmer whispered. "It is a horrible secret to know." He stood up. "But it is a burden best shared. No one should know such things alone. You have strength, more than even I knew, Dukhat. I need to meditate, calm my mind so that this secret can be sifted. I am of the religious caste and I will protect this until the time comes when we can bury it forever or tell our people the truth. But I pray that it never comes to that."

"I am not sure who to pray to anymore," Dukhat said. "That choice may have been taken away from us.

A few moments earlier, she had been content in her heritage. Now she no longer knew what that heritage truly was. It did however explain Dukhat's beard and a thousand other small changes in Minbari physiology.

Her voice was calm and measured, perhaps too much so. But in her heart, nothing could ever be the same again. "The universe will provide," Delenn answered without conviction.

The three of them sat in silence and none of them were sure if the universe was indeed that kind.

_**Caliban Sector**_

_**Two weeks later**_

Captain Tazlax of the Scarran Imperial cruiser _Vetrisswemme_ had been very busy in the last five mothens. Since his sister ships have been destroyed by aliens called the Minbari in that disastrous encounter, he had kept a very low profile, setting up a small base on a hot, but pleasing planet his crew had called Scarro. The world was for the most part barren, but it was rich in mineral wealth. And the small amount of plant life was being cultivated to increase the overall oxygen output. In less than a weeken the fleet would arrive and this small outpost would become a major base of operations in which they could study and subdue the local races.

However, keeping a low profile didn't mean hiding. Tazlax had spent the last few mothens well. After setting up a Hetch dimensional Comsat he remained in constant communication with the approaching fleet. Several of the local races in the immediate are provided a wealth of information concerning the sectors' population. The Humans had a space fleet that could put up significant resistance against a smaller force, but they like everyone else here, had no idea of FTL drives such as Hetch. Instead they used something completely different to achieve faster than light propulsion. That was transmitted as well. Jump space was a new concept and it was something that needed study in order to fully exploit the possibilities.

Besides the Humans there were the Minbari, who by all accounts was the most powerful race around. Hard numbers were impossible to come by, but the aliens captured and interrogated all insisted that they had as many as five hundred ships and that their empire spread out to at least five or more worlds. All the information extracted from the aliens, no matter how trivial was transmitted to War Minister Ahkna. It was too dangerous not to and he was too good a Captain to ignore the small details. One of those details was to make sure that there were no witnesses to his abductions. All ships were stripped of computer data before being destroyed beyond recognition and the remains scattered.

Another one of those details was the data concerning the events between the Humans and species called the Dilgar. That war had solidified the other races behind the Humans who would no doubt come to their aid when his people went after them. That could be a problem if they rendered assistance to the Humans. However if the Minbari were discouraged from participating in the coming war, then the others would scatter and Crichton's people would be left on their own. That was bad enough because if they were anything like the reports on that Humans disruptor, then this would not be an easy battle. The attack, in his personal opinion would require a heavy hand, but that was not his decision. The War Minister would have the final say on how this war would be conducted.

War Minister Ahkna stood impassively watching the stars as they seemed to streak by. But inside she was seething. War Coordinator Rylack, the Emperor's favorite had been most polite and agreed to most of the proposals that Ahkna had submitted for his approval.

She hated his presence.

This was her command, not his. Even though he hadn't said anything, she knew that he was the Emperor's personal spy and any error she made would be reported the instant she made it. Staleek would then have the excuse he wanted to take her head and give command over to Rylack. That oversized Scarran would be forced to eliminate her, after he had his way with her numerous times, which is what he always wanted, in the most humiliating and painful way available.

She feared and hated her leash-master but could not kill him without being blamed and summarily executed. But she was biding her time. It might take mothens to conquer and subdue Earth so she would simply bid her time and not do anything that could get her killed.

The battle fleet began their final orbit around the small blue star to the planet Scarro as named by the sole surviving Captain of the first doomed exploratory force that had been a failure-and a resounding success. Earth's location was known and from what little was known about the planet, it reeked of plant life, giving added hope that the _Crystherium Utilia_ might survive, even flourish there. The plant was so delicate, requiring so many variables so that it could thrive and eventually reproduce that it had its own dedicated maintenance crew. Most planets were not suitable enough to sustain it. But Earth might be and if the rumor was true, the planet might have its own variations of the plant. She would be rich beyond compare. It might even be enough to keep her alive when she accidentally had Rylack vivisected, for the greater good of the Scarran Empire, of course.

The War Minister would have been moderately surprised if she understood how little Rylack desired her position. His attitude resulted from her attitude against him and his perceived threat to her power. He had no interest in her other than making sure she had the resources to succeed in her mission. His dominating approach with her ensured her cooperation for the time being. The presence of the Deathwatch guard from Staleek had helped as well. The guards were completely dedicated to the Emperor and the protections of the flowers. They were charged to follow his orders to the death. The two dreadnaughts he brought established his authority. He also had two _Trentran_ class construction ships carrying enough supplies to build a hunter-class space station, as a land base wouldn't be enough. The star base would give them extra protection and would become the beginning of a new base of operations in this new sector of unexplored space. And, it would be needed. It would be just a matter or time when the Peacekeepers discovered this operation.

The sight of five dreadnaughts plus his settling into orbit was indeed an awe-inspiring and fearsome sight. Battleships aligned in higher orbit while the destroyers were situated two A.U. distant. The construction ship crews eager to do something after long mothens of travel immediately began their work in orbit, while the rest traveled to the surface to began construction there under the watchful eyes of their in orbit protectors.


	7. Chapter 6

_**Chapter Six**_

"_**SAY WHAT!"**_

_**Two months later:**_

_**EarthDome-Switzerland:**_

Inside the private office of President Levy, Senators Clark and Santiago sat dumbfounded while listening to General Lefcourt as he finish his report.

"Let me get this straight, just for the record," an incredulous Morgan Clark said. He swallowed before he continued. "The Minbari have towed a huge station to the Epsilon Eridani system, and built a jump gate there, and all our reports are saying it's an _O'Neill_ class station, an old, dilapidated one that they are rebuilding almost from scratch and they want us to help?" The news had to shaken him to his core. "And to our knowledge we've never built such a station? Is that correct?"

She looked around gauging each and every person in the room. "That sums it up quite nicely," Levy answered.

"So, is it me, or does all of this sounds a bit strange to you as well?" Santiago asked while Morgan was vigorously nodding in agreement before he could even finish talking.

"We've all seen the images and pictures," General Lefcourt said quickly. All eyes glared at him, inspecting the man as if he were a bug, an interesting bug, but a bug nevertheless. "The _Apollo_ has been there. Captain Thomas confirmed that it was Earth Alliance built." Pausing for a moment he let that sink in. "It's real, an _O'Neill_ class space station with Earth Alliance design fingerprints all over it. It's at least several hundred years old – and we didn't build it. The Minbari have a gravity system installed and basic life supports to about thirty percent of the station, so far. The crew of the _Apollo _were given a quick tour of the station and free access to it for the most parts that were functional. We were not allowed into some of their more secured areas, but that was understandable."

"This is beyond credibility," announced Levy. "They're baiting us," she added after a second.

"Absolutely," Clark answered. "But the question is why are they baiting us? Why would they do this? And why are they placing it at Epsilon Eridani? What do they want?"

"All very pertinent questions, Morgan."

"The official statement was that that star system is at the center of the four great powers; the Narn, Centauri, Minbari, and Earth Alliance," Lefcourt told them.

"Don't forget the Vorlon Empire."

"No, Senator," Lefcourt muttered. "I made that same correction and they told me in no uncertain terms that the Vorlons no longer occupy that space. They were very specific about that. They have left for parts unknown, but the Minbari were vague about the reasons why and how they know."

"Interesting," mused Santiago, "something we need to investigate later, but back to the subject."

"Yes, sir. They claim to want an established place where different alien governments can come together and air their grievances. They are calling it a gathering place for those who want to pursue peace instead of war."

"But what about the Centauri and the Narn?" asked Morgan. "They won't come anywhere near each other unless they can lock on and blow each other to kingdom come. And what about the other races? They call themselves a League but that's laughable. They're a bunch of cutthroats and will turn on each other with the drop of a hat. They're no better than the old United Nations."

"That's one of the reasons why the Minbari want us to participate in this," Levy said carefully. "They want to show that we, meaning humanity and Minbari, can cooperate with one another. Or, at least that's the official statement. We have the credibility of being the victors in the Dilgar war and saving the League's collective butts, so we are a known factor, even though we are considered a young race by most of their standards."

Morgan chuckled. "You don't believe the official reason, do you?" And by the way he said it, he doubted it as well.

"Oh, I believe them," she answered in all seriousness. "They've told us a good reason. But, no, I don't believe we've been told the real reasons," Levy said. "They want something and whatever it is it has to be big enough for them to want to involve us. I'm beginning to see that the Minbari understand us better than I had assumed. They understand our curiosity quite well. I feel like a fish looking at a delicious worm on a hook." She took a sip of coffee before continuing. "Dukhat knows that we have to know and that we need to find out what it is as soon as possible before we commit to anything. That's why I will take Dukhat up on his offer and visit the station."

"Mrs. President," began Senator Santiago. "I strongly advise against this action. You're right. We don't know their true motives and even if they did give us gravity technology, I am not sure they can be fully trusted, at least not yet. That station simply underscores this fact that they are hiding something."

"Can we really trust anybody?" asked Levy. "The answer is no. However, they came here first and we should reciprocate accordingly."

"I agree with the Senator Santiago," Clark said. "Send Vice-President Fleming instead. He's expendable."

"Senator!"

"Well, it's true," Clark said innocently.

Clark's ambitions were well known and his dislike for the vice-President was legendary.

"Didn't I hear you say that you liked Satai Dukhat?" Santiago asked Clark changing the subject.

"I do, but that doesn't mean that I trust him. He's an alien and an excellent politician, two of the most dangerous combinations I can think of. Who knows what motives these people have?"

"From God's mouth to our ears."

Levy felt she should have said something and slapped the arrogant Senator down, but she chose not to at this time. Afterwards was another story. "I will go to see Satai Dukhat and discover what is going on with the Minbari and the station. If my report is favorable then I will recommend that we will participate with them to the full extent of our capability. Oh, and you two are coming with me to allow me to keep my objectivity," she smirked.

"And what if it's not?"

She simply starred at the three men grim-faced. "I think I'll take a step towards trust this time. General Lefcourt, do they have a name for this station?"

"Yes," Lefcourt answered. "It's an Earth name," he said slowly to surprise of all in the room. "They're calling it the _Babylon_ station, _Babylon Four_ to be exact. They want to christen it _Babylon Five_ when it's finished, new name, new identity some such."

"My God. What have we gotten ourselves into?"

"I don't know," Santiago confessed. "But you have to admit this is a nice bit of cheese. Makes we wonder what kind of micee they think we are?"

"I prefer the word 'rat'."

"You would, Morgan."

After a full minute of silence: "The first of two mysteries we're going to have to solve," Clark announced. "The first is, what is that station, really?" he told them. "And if we agree to this, this lunacy, who's going to pay for all of this?"

_**Caliban Sector**_

_**Valus Three**_

_**Conference chamber**_

War Coordinator Rylack, even while sitting was an imposing figure as well as a respected one among those of the Scarran Empire, War Minister Ahkna envied the way the other Scarrans deferred to him with an ease that was denied her. They feared her, but they respected him and that simply would not do if she were to maintain her authority over him. Her power could be easily leeched away from her without her even being fully aware of it.

Ahkna was uncomfortable with his presence, but not as much as she had been in the first couple of months She felt her position threatened during that period of time although now, she grudgingly admitted to herself, that she may have misjudged his motivations somewhat. He didn't seem to want her position and he even seemed to genuinely respect her authority, something that kept the War Minister on edge.

As leader she came in last and sat at the head of the table. Normally she would have demanded the data instantly but over the last two months, she discovered that she could relax a bit during these meetings. Her people wanted to succeed as much as she and their dedication had proved it time and time again.

"Our data is almost complete on Earth Alliance's system and its holdings," War Coordinator Rylack began. "The Humans have moderate holdings across nineteen star system, most being small colonies dependent on their home world for supplies and support."

"Weaponry."

"Their mainline ships called _Hyperions_ have plasma cannon, particle beams and fusion missiles strong enough to damage our cruisers and destroyers if allowed enough time to do so," Rylack answered. "In groups, they are a threat to our ships. The maximum speed of their ships is pathetic in normal space, but the use of their jump space to obtain faster-than-light is far superior to anything we possess. Our scientists are working on jump engine prototypes as we speak but the work goes slowly. There is also the problem with navigation using jump space. This is a problem for their people as well, so they have installed what they refer to hyperspace beacons. They use them as universal devices to determine position as they travel. Destroy the beacons and they are helpless."

"Then destroy them as soon as we begin to prosecute the war!"

"That may not be wise. The other races depend on these beacons and any destruction of beacons and the jump gates will cause them to react negatively. Individually, they are of little threat. Together they will overwhelm us without sizable backup support from home. We do not have the resources to defend against that type of action."

The War Minister frowned, almost pouted. This had been discussed before and the answer was always the same. "Then what is your suggestion, War Coordinator?"

"As before, we should attack several of the lesser colonies and see how they respond. We should allow their ships to come to their defense, examine their strengths and weakness and military prowess. Once the information is gathered then use it to plan a coordinated assault on their home world."

"I don't agree," she growled. "We should hit their home world first. A massive strike, destroy all resistance. It is our way."

Rylack sighed. "And what of the Minbari?"

"Every report we've seen indicates that they are an isolationist race, not rabidly so but enough to cloak themselves in mystery," she told them. "The other races are respectful at best and afraid of them at worse. No one knows how powerful they are and no one is interested in finding out. I believe that they may be as powerful as the Luxans."

"If they assist the Humans then we may not be able to complete our mission. They should be neutralized before we attack Earth."

"Staleek's orders are clear," said Ahkna. "Striking at the Minbari would be a waste of resources unless they attack us first. We will deal with Earth and then turn our claws towards the Minbari."

"I don't agree. What you propose may endanger our mission. We need to determine first if the flower exists on the planet. But the Minbari threat needs to be carefully examined. I propose a compromise. A recon in force would determine their intentions and capabilities firsthand."

Akhna thought about it. If Rylack attacked the Minbari, then he wouldn't be around to interfere with her operations and might even get himself killed. The only thing she would then have to deal with were the spies he was sure to have placed on her ships, not that she planned to do anything wrong. "Maybe you should do that – more glory for you. As for our plans for Earth, in light of what you propose it would be wiser to start with their major colonies and move directly on to their home world."

Rylack agreed to the compromise. Inwardly satisfied, he dismissed the minor officers to start preparations. "Bring in the prisoner."

One Deathwatch guard, a seven foot tall classically-looking Scarran, entered the spacious room pushing an older Centauri male forward, the last of crewmembers of a captured freighter. The Captain looked haggard. He'd been tortured and starved. There were first-degree burns across his face, the result of repeated telepathic interrogations. He was afraid but still more than a bit defiant as he faced a new round of interrogations by these alien lizard-like beings.

Rylack glared at the War Minister for the first time in memory. "Do not permanently damage him," he warned.

Ahkna ignored him. Staring at the guard she nodded, and the guard began the interrogation. He stretched forth his hand and waves of intense heat generated by a gland inside the alien assaulted the prisoner. This time, the intensity strong was enough to blister the Centauri's skin and the pain, combined with the Scarran telepathic probing made it almost impossible for the Centauri to lie. The Humanoid had been injected with translator microbes so that the interrogation would be somewhat easier to administer.

"What do you know about the geography of the planet Humans call Earth?" asked the now purring War Minister.

The Centauri screamed once, but gritted his teeth and refused to utter another sound.

"I am impressed," she told him. War Minister Ahkna grabbed the Centauri's face and pulled it towards her even as the heat treatment continued full force. "There are few aliens that can resist us to this extent. You should be proud," she purred.

"Tell…nothing," the Centauri managed to hiss.

"Your crew was somewhat more cooperative," Ahkna told him softly although the male was almost beyond hearing her now. "Enough!" Instantly the Death watcher ceased. "Impressive," she whispered in the Captain's ear. A Sebacean would have long since died under such treatment. "But in resisting the probing all you've done is to ensure the subjugation and death of your people. The Scarran Empire will not tolerate any race that can resist our tender mercies," she smirked humorlessly. "Perhaps when we examine your people we can find out exactly how you're resisting so we can correct this flaw."

The barely conscious Centauri glared at her. But there was a look of pure defiance in his eyes.

"Such defiance. Your eyes betray you and your people," she snapped as she moved away from him. "You would plague us with your resistance. This means you have to die to insure our security," she announced to her prisoner. Grabbing him by the face, she began to squeeze and the Humanoid male began to choke.

"I said 'not' to damage him," Rylack repeated more forcefully this time as he stepped forward.

The female Scarran turned towards her competitor. "What do you care about these people? You can see it as well as I. They threaten our security."

Rylack stepped back, slowly defusing the rising tension between the two of them. Ahkna was well known for her paranoia and lust for power and he had no wish to further inflame her bloodlust at the moment. Besides she was in a good mood right now. "There are better ways of gathering this information."

The War Minister turned away. "Very well," she hissed, being disappointed but also being aware that Rylack was correct. The Centauri captain made him more important than the others. "Take the prisoner away. Use the paralytic gas and embalm the creature. We'll dissect him at our leisure." She turned to the prisoner. "You'll be alive of course when this happens. Fresh tissue is much better to work with."

The Centauri tried to spit in her face. She laughed and slapped him open-palmed. Her claws scored deeply into his face. Unconscious and bleeding, he was dragged from her presence.

"The base is almost completed. I would suggest we start the operation now, War Minister."

"I concur, War coordinator. I will lead the attack myself."

"See that you are victorious, War Minister. It's been almost three-quarters of a cycle and your husband will be anxious for positive news."

"He wouldn't be my husband if he wasn't. It will take another two mothens before we arrive in Earth Alliance space. It will be one mothen more before we subjugate the planet."

"Do not be so sure of this timetable," her adversary told her. "If they are like John Crichton, then your plans may not go smoothly."

She threw her hands up in mock surrender. "That Human was a freak of nature. They are like the Sebaceans, even weaker and limited in their technology. They will die if they defy our will."

"And what if they're not? What if John Crichton is the norm rather than the exception?"

"If they are, then we exterminate them and take the plants and their secret of wormhole weapon's technology. If they destroy those secrets, the plants will still be there."

"Don't irradiate the world before we acquire the _Crystherium_."

"I know my duty. Make sure that you are successful or the punishment you will endure from the Emperor will be far worse than mine, I promise you."

_**Peacekeeper Fleet**_

_**Command vessel Pacifier**_

The bridge of Peacekeeper Command carrier hummed with its usual efficiency. Crewmen monitored their instruments while the occasional non-descript tech checked over equipment, making sure that everything function as it was supposed to. The military caste ignored them, as the techs were treated as second-class, barely worthy of contempt unless something went wrong. This was the way of Peacekeeper culture, the military elite were in control while everyone and everything else subjected to their will. This wasn't always so but the culture had evolved into this militaristic society over a period of thousands of cycles. From their humble beginnings as galactic policemen, they'd turned into ruthless enforcers, transitioning from protectors of others into believing that they were above the rest. Intimate association with different races and their societies had morphed into irreversible contamination. Sebaceans who mixed with others were frowned upon, rejected, and usually terminated by their society unless it was done for the greater good.

There was a reason for this. The Sebacean species was in many ways unique because of their ability to produce viable fertile children when mixed with other races. Because of this ability to mix so easily with others, the Peacekeeper species itself was threatened. In order to maintain themselves as a pure species, stringent laws were introduced to keep Sebacean from interbreeding to keep from creating abominations like Scorpius, a hybrid mixture of Sebacean and the hated Scarrans. He was an exception. His heritage made him special and the creature was allowed to live, and experimented by the Scarrans. He was hated and distrusted by both sides. But the Scarrans had never terminated him as many would have expected. He was a special experiment, and rumor had it he was also the freakish child of Staleek, Emperor of the Scarran Empire. Whether this was true, no one knew for sure is Scorpius certainly wasn't telling.

Grayza was another such exception; one's whose ruthlessness exceeded those around here and earned her the name of Peacekeeper despite her mixed Nebari bloodline. A few respected her. Most feared and despised her, all of which didn't matter to her as long as they she commanded their obedience.

Admiral Grayza felt the need to stretch and move before she went insane, so she found herself walking about for the third time checking the performance of her crews. Her stomach ached as the child within her rapidly grew to maturity. The frelling thing kept moving around! The Peacekeeper crew pretended to ignore her, concentrating on their duties instead, least they brought unwanted attention to themselves.

Her face represented command level perfection but inwardly she was worried. Although no one knew it, she was distressed by the news from the medical technician maintaining her pregnancy. The life inside her was different, and the med tech was worried for the child and the mother.

Like Scorpius, Grayza was a hybrid creature, being part Sebacean and part Nebari. Pregnancy should have been all but impossible without medical assistance, but this pregnancy had surprised her bypassing the safeties and proceeding on its own. All data indicated that this child was part Human – another reason to hate that man. He did this to her and left her tied up, humiliated in front of her officers and crew. The fact that she had drugged him with her seduction essence gland and he had been her prisoner at the time was immaterial. This was his fault and he would suffer greatly for this indignity. But despite her contempt, the child was hers and that posed some interesting possibilities. The former Grand Chancellor Maryk believed it to be his, (so did she, indeed had planned it that way) but like so many other things, he was wrong. It wasn't his as they'd both hoped. The question was, was she wrong for having this child? It did give her a certain status as most thought it was the late Grand Chancellor Maryk's.

But she knew better now.

The medical technician, under an order of strict silence upon pain of death, was unsure what characteristics the child would boast. It was entirely possible that the Sebacean weakness against heat would not be present in the child. She might also have her father's almost instinctual ability to think outside the norms. This child may well be gifted which meant that it would require special treatment and training, not placed into the general population as all children born to Peacekeepers were. Now that she was an Admiral, she'd make it happen.

Having disturbed the crew enough, she sat. The baby decided to moved, causing her to grunt a bit. These inconveniences were irritating. Causing her mother distress would not be tolerated, something she would make clear to it when the child was delivered. Grayza, to her chagrin discovered what every other mother in existence knew. Pregnancy was hard and the closer to term, the worse it felt.

"Admiral, Commandant Brazlar is online, scrambled deca two."

"Open the channel," she ordered as she put the earpiece in place. …this is Grayza."

"_We've just received a data burst from one of our agents. The Scarrans are on the move towards the planet Earthforce. They should reach their territory in two mothens and then the war will start."_

"Frell! How long before we reach our target?"

"_At current speed, another six mothens."_

She sat back, controlling her impulse to slap the handrest, thereby revealing her frustration and irritability to the rest of the crew. "We may arrive too late to stop the Scarrans from dominating the planet and taking what they want."

"With the number of ships at their command, that may be the most likely outcome."

"_We may have to destroy them all, and remove all evidence of our presence unless the Humans can hold out. We don't know their full capabilities."_

"True, but an armada of that size will certainly overcome any resistance."

"Eventually. Unless the Humans have wormhole weapons."

"_Agreed and in that case, I would suggest we turn around a leave without contacting the Humans and prepare for the worst."_

"But," she added. "If they are strong enough to resist and prevail, if we help them destroy the Scarrans, then we may be able to forge some sort of agreement with them and together we could rid ourselves of their threat forever."

The Commandant snorted_. "And risk irreversible contamination, especially so far from home? Crichton is an excellent example of their inferiority and their inherent threat. The Humans are inferior in every way imaginable,"_ he explained._"We're not going there to make friends. At the very least, they would need Peacekeeper guidance."_

"I suggest you re-read the dossier on Crichton once more," she announced slowly. "I believe his people may be very useful in the war to come against the Scarrans and the Nebari. They're not Sebacean, but if Crichton is a good example of their species, then they are not to be underestimated or undervalued. To do so will be at our peril."

"_And does this word of advice come from experience?"_ he asked innocently.

The Admiral felt the beginnings of a headache. "He escaped my forces as he did the Scarran Emperor's imperial guard. Take that into consideration when we encounter his people," she told him. She thanked the powers that kept peacekeeper-dom intact that the truth hadn't come out as to how she really allowed that Human creature to escape.

No one need ever know how he had tied her up…

-On the bed.

-In a very compromising position.

-In a very embarrassing state of undress, while smiling stupidly waiting for him to come to her believing she was actually in control when in reality, she was not.

-Being the one seduced and betrayed – and impregnated despite precautions, while it was she who thought she was seducing him. She had him wrapped around her finger, right up until he wrapped '_her'_ up and escaped. The irony of the whole frelling situation hadn't been lost on her. Peacekeeper High Command had very clear parameters when in contact with unclassified alien life forms (John being the very personification of that danger). Yes, she had most certainly exceeded those parameters (even if he was now classified), irreversible contamination was the result. The dangers that High Command had feared were all too real and she was in violation of that ancient law. It had been tactfully ignored by all concerned because of her position and power base in Peacekeeper hierarchy. However she knew they knew and this baby would be the first piece of evidence that they'd point to if they wanted her 'retired'. And just why did the contraceptive fail? What was it in the genetic makeup of that Human that had caused it to fail?

-How she hated that – that man.

But he had left her with a possible bargaining chip when they arrived at planet Earthforce if it was still there.

"Yes it does. We have to take into consideration that they may be uncontrollable," she said with finality. "Do you have anything else to report?"

"_Two star systems that contain life, with primitive cultures that may have their uses on our return trip."_

"Send the report. And continue scans to make sure that the Scarrans haven't left any surprises for us."

"_Yes, Admiral."_


	8. Chapter 7

_**Chapter Seven**_

_**AP version II**_

_**Epsilon Eridani – five days later**_

_**Earthforce One**_

"_Jump gate transition in six minutes…"_

The Presidential aide Edward Johnson, by the ease in which he walked towards the presidential party, was very comfortable moving around in the centrifugal gravity environment that was _Earthforce One._

"Six minutes to transition, Madame President," he told them.

"Thank you, Edward."

The man nodded and then he moved away to keep from interfering with or unintentionally overhearing any confidential conversations between the President and the others.

President Levy's eyes turned once more towards the tiny, heavily re-enforced window to stare at the red nothingness that was jump space. Shuddering, she twisted her head and stared at Morgan. "I hate space travel, you know."

"Yes, Madame President. You keep saying that," he said smiling. He wasn't overly impressed with space travel himself. "But you insisted."

"Thank God that we're going to upgrade _Earth Force One _with artificial gravity," she said. "If I have to use this spinning top one more time… It's not Presidential trying to keep food down one's food, and I use those words sparingly, at every given minute."

"Well, it's better than traveling on one of the _Hyperions,"_ he told her. "One trip trapped in one of those things and you'll understand why they consider _EF One_ a yacht in comparison."

She smirked. "So I've heard. At lease my hair's not flying everywhere."

Clark only smiled. Short hair was not a requirement but strongly suggested in a zero gravity environment. Regulation hairstyles for women usually meant well kept ponytails. An Earthforce officer with unruly hair was not deemed professional. Weightlessness was the bane of hair. But that explained why the Centauri used so much hair gel to keep it in place. It also explained why exports of hair spray to Centauri Prime caused the stock market to soar in those early days.

The intercom system interrupted his musings.

"_Madame President, ladies and gentlemen, we will be arriving at the jump gate in fifteen seconds. Once again, please be sure that your harnesses are well secured before we begin our transition…"_

"Get ready," Morgan said, gripping the armrests tightly.

He hadn't needed to give that caution as all of the passengers knew what was coming. The pilot begin the countdown and eight seconds later, there was an intense acceleration and then something that felt about the size of an adult cow decided to sit on everyone's chest.

This was the part that Morgan really didn't like, that gut-wrenching transition from hyperspace to normal space which made you feel like you were puking up your liver. Then, it was over as the acceleration into normal space ended just as quickly as it began. Now, the two hour deceleration procedure would begin.

"Next time," he heard Levy whisper, "they're coming back to Earth."

He silently agreed.

While _Earthforce One _and the two _Novas,_ along with the four Star fury escorts began their two hour deceleration protocol, President Levy got a chance to review the information packet one more time. This _O'Neill_ class station was over eight miles long and possessed its own jump engines. The Minbari had installed a jump gate in the system and had a sizable force guarding the entire thing. The sheer firepower estimated by Earth Force tactical officers of the Minbari warships, well that part was disturbing, but the Minbari had guaranteed the President's safety and they looked as if they really meant it. Even though they were aliens the Earth Alliance delegation were actually comforted by the fact that they would be willing to use so many resources to protect her and her people.

"Braking engines cutting in. Deceleration being matched by our escorts. All systems green," the Captain said to his co-pilot. "Roberts look; you can see it from here."

"Yes, sir. It's big, alright. Who would build something that large in this backwater hole?"

"Who knows? It's supposed to have that Minbari artificial gravity system installed. It'll be nice to stretch my legs and hope that I don't fall on my face trying to adjust. I just hope we'll get a chance to get a quick tour of the place before we return."

"Yes, sir, but I'm a bit concerned at how fast this is going. They're aliens that we've just contacted less than a year ago. We don't know that much about them. Does EarthDome believe we can trust them?"

"God, I hope so," he answered. "President Levy and most of the higher ups seem to have given them the green light at least for now. The President's never been to Centauri Prime or the other home worlds and they've never been to ours. You do the math." The captain paused for a second. "I've seen their ships up close. Compared to them, they make our ships look like crap. I wouldn't want to go up against one of them. I say if they're interested in becoming friends, then hey, let 'em. It would be nice to have a race that we could actually trust."

The co-pilot chuckled. "When has that ever happened?" he retorted.

The Captain merely shook his head in agreement. "Maybe, now. Honestly, I'm not sure, however the President's here on behalf of the request of the Minbari leader and that says a lot." The Narn, the Centauri, the League of Nonaligned Worlds, weren't trustworthy not really. They were all cut throat and self-interested governments, but he had to admit them so was Earth. That was the way things were in this galaxy, everybody for themselves. "They've done good by us so far so. We'll have to see what the future holds."

_Babylon Four _was considered a huge station by anyone's standards; but in good shape it was not. However, judging by the numbers of Minbari service pods and personnel working on the outside of the station, the massive structure was being improved by the moment. Ten Minbari _Sharlins_ and an equal number of cruisers ships called _Tinashis_ had secured the entire system. There were also several smaller gunships, _Liandras,_ patrolling as well. But what surprised the Earth Alliance contingent was the presence of two Centauri _Vorchan_ class ships near the station.

At the end of the deceleration point,_ Earthforce One _finallyslowed to a stop at their assigned position and a half hour later two shuttles left the president's ship and headed for the docking bay of _B4. _It was another half hour before the shuttles reached the bay, landed, and the section pressurized. The thirty or so members of Earth Alliance including military, Press and security details were ushered into a transport tube and brought to their rooms. Those rooms were spacious having a familiar earthlike, yet alien feel to them. For her part, Levy couldn't quite explain it. The room was somewhat bright yet retained that dull Earthforce design she'd seen on so many other Earthforce constructs.

The food provided in her room looked – interesting. There were several Minbari fruits and delicacies on the tables, but she was careful to have her people taste anything before she did, protocol, and all. It wouldn't do to have the Earth Alliance president throw up on their hosts. She had enough trouble trying to keep from doing that on _Earthforce One._

The evening's festivities were nice, and very serious with overtones of religious tradition that had existed for the Minbari over hundreds, most likely thousands of years. And, as with any photo hog on Earth, Dukhat apparently liked appearing in front of the cameras and answering the more general questions for ISN. Most of the reporters were quite taken with him and the Minbari had done their utmost to provide the best while they were there.

That was something that seemed to be in contrast with a people that were considered isolationists, thought Santiago. He noticed that the other Minbari were wearier of the reporters and although respectful, it was clear that they were unused to interacting in such public activities around aliens.

The Centauri Ambassador to Earth was present, mugging for the camera and talking about how much he loved Earth culture, food and drinks. He seemed much like the doting Ambassador that someone higher up had decided to get rid of by posting him in some obscure unimportant posting. But Santiago wasn't sure and neither was Clark. Although it was well known that the Centauri were very, very interested into establishing relations with the Minbari, they were both surprised that he was on the station. Both of them have had prior experience with Ambassador Mollari and both of them knew that there had to be something more to the man than just his obvious love for wine and women. This was the same Centauri that had come to Earth and taken a job that none of the others wanted. And now that the Minbari had made such an impressive first contact with Earth, he was still the ambassador. That contact had effectively changed the job description and status of Centauri Ambassador to Earth. The appointment was now something to be coveted, not jeered. That he has survived long enough to keep his position was impressive.

He needed watching.

The day's end found a somewhat tired Madame President contemplating the bed that had been provided. It was very inviting and a nice accoutrement especially since the Minbari believed in sleeping at an angle on some type of resting slab.

God, no.

That was the last thing she needed. However, the duties of the Presidency were never over and she had in informal meeting scheduled with Dukhat before she could call it a day. Apparently it was serious enough not to be part of the official agenda. Senators Santiago and Clark were asked to be present and at twenty hundred hours, Earth time, Dukhat, his aide Delenn and another Minbari of the religious caste, Branmer, arrived. Secret Service agents didn't move a muscle as the three entered. Both Minbari and Earth for security remained outside. Soon they were quietly discussing security protocols with their Minbari counterparts.

Inside the room, Dukhat bowed his head and the three Humans returned the greetings in a similar manner. After quick pleasantries, they all sat and Levy allowed her host to begin. The room seemed to darken as the seriousness settled over the Minbari.

"Madame President, Senators of Earth Alliance," Dukhat started. His command of the English language had improved remarkably, a testament to his dedication to study. "I am the Grey, leader of the Minbari Federation. I have invited you here so that you will know and understand the history of the Minbari people and the role we have played in keeping the other young races safe from the darkness that threatened to consume us all. That threat has now over but the truth of it still remains. I know you and your fellow leaders are wondering about this station and why we have asked you to be a part of its future.'

"That thought had crossed our minds," Morgan dryly acknowledged.

"That reason is because of your connection to it in the past. This station is, or should I say was, an Earth Alliance station that was transported from our future into the distant past, one thousand years to be exact." He held up his hand to quickly forestall the myriad number of questions he knew were coming. "I will answer your questions soon but please indulge me as I tell you the story first."

He remained silent for a second as the Humans absorbed that bit of information. Standing now and starting to pace the Minbari waved his finger at them. "A thousand years ago there was a great war between the forces of darkness and the light. Two very powerful races fought against one another. One was the Vorlon Empire, who gathered allies against the darkness that threatened to envelop us all. We along with others participated in that war against the agents of darkness. The other race was called the Shadows; we have no other name for them. They believed in spreading conflict and chaos among the younger races. Their purpose was to create conflict so that the strong would survive and the weak would be removed for the greater good of all. The Vorlons believed in control and order, the Shadows in chaos and contention. These two ideological beliefs could not exist with one another and the Vorlon and Shadows fought each other through proxies to determine which ideology was correct."

He stopped pacing and sat once more. "Many races on both sides were lost because of this war. Entire species became extinct. The forces of light found themselves losing. So the Vorlons developed a plan. They took this station, approximately thirteen years from our future and sent it back a thousand years where it was used a fortress and a rallying point. The plan succeeded in this station saved us from a thousand years of darkness." He smiled as diplomatically as possible at their shocked faces.

"What I am telling you was imparted to me by the Vorlons. It was known by our people that the war between the Shadows and the Vorlons would have begun again within the next ten years and many billions would have died in fire. But for some reason the Vorlons and the Shadows finally resolved their differences and have left and they will not return. This information was meant to help us understand our future without their presence. But they imparted to me more information than they planned to and that error is the reason why I have contacted your people. It is a dark tale filled with death and manipulation by races billions of years older than ourselves. The _Babylon_ station has always traveled into the past and we the Minbari have always used it to defeat the forces of the darkness, until this time.

"We're 'talking about time travel? Am I correct?" Clark asked skeptically. "But we all know time travel is impossible, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is impossible," Dukhat said with a hint of a smile, "but not for them. As impossible as it seems, the Vorlons used time travel to keep the Shadows from winning and that has always been so. Call it a time loop or maybe a time circle would be a better description at our present level of understanding of such things. But that is the past. It is my belief that this is the last time-loop."

"But the price has been high." Dukhat was quiet as he gathered his thoughts. "In all of those circular timelines, I died by the hands of Earthforce Captain Michael Jankowski of the Earth Alliance ship _Prometheus_. Through a series of foolish mistakes on both sides, he fired on my ship and I was killed." He looked at the Human's stunned faces. "Yes, our first contact by which your captain saved me would have been the focal point of the time circle in which he would have killed me. And the war for the extermination of your people would have started. My people are very passionate and unfortunately with my death they allowed their passions to overwhelm them; foolish yes, but nevertheless true."

"A war?" asked President Levy. She found herself not liking her question at all. Somehow it seemed a foul and dirty.

"Yes," he answered, "but let me continue with the story. In their rage, my people came close to destroying your world," he continued and the sadness in his voice was palpable. "We intended to turn your race into nothing more than a memory and I am ashamed to say that the death of one person would have resulted in the death of billions. This war has happened as long as the Vorlons have used time travel to suit their needs and in every case, my death precipitated the war. But mankind always survived, as was the Vorlon plan and this is the reason why. As my people began final preparations, we discovered something that made us pause."

"And what was that, Satai Dukhat?" Levy coldly asked. She didn't like the idea of going to war with these people and she didn't like the idea that Humanity could have lost that war. Humanity must have made the price of that war supremely high as he'd alluded to earlier.

Dukhat concluded that there was no other way but to say it directly. "We discovered that your people were carrying Minbari souls," he said.

Suppressed anger turned into confusion. "I don't understand," expressed Senator Santiago.

"Neither did we, at first. But a device, the Triluminary, the most sacred relic of the dark times, confirmed it. Minbari souls were being born into Humans. The most sacred, most revered Minbari soul in a thousand years was found to be inside a captured Human by my people during Earth's final stand."

"I am sorry Satai, I still do not understand."

A thousand years ago a Minbari not born of Minbar, whom we called Valen, came through with the station. The Vorlons had reconstructed a Human, genetically altered him to appear Minbari. His tactical knowledge and military expertise helped to save the galaxy from domination by the Shadows, and in return, I am sad to say that my people rewarded him with fear and revulsion. He fled and went into hiding. Eventually, we came to understand what the Vorlons had done for us, although it came far too late for us to ask for forgiveness. But for the last thousand years his descendents have spread throughout the Minbari population."

"Oh. My. God!" exclaimed Clark as the full import of what had been told soaked into his brain.

"Yes," Dukhat said, stroking his beard to drive home the point.

"Minbari souls are being born into Humanity," Delenn whispered. "Or it may be better to say that we are cousins to Humanity. We are linked to you by blood. Your genes are part of us and we are part of yours."

"But-but, why would the Vorlons have done this?" asked a slightly shell-shocked Senator Clark.

"No one is sure of their motives," Branmer said. "We only know that it was part of their time circle project. The Vorlons were very secretive." He sighed.

"What was done is done. We cannot go back. My people are not aware of the truth and this secret could very well tear apart both of our societies. But the fact remains that we are connected by blood. This is the reason why you are here," Dukhat told the stunned Humans. "Not for the station; but the revelation of knowledge and truth. There are three truths; your truth, my truth and the truth. Which one will we," and he stressed the 'we', "accept?"

'So much for sleep,' the President ruefully thought later that night. Trying not to think about these life-altering events was almost impossible now. The conversation that changed her perspective about life had continued for another two hours and the surface had barely been scratched.

Humanity had alien cousins.

Genetic testing would be done to confirm the truth but she and the others found that they were unable to deny what had been said. It was simply too fantastic and on the face of it a lot more credible than the Centauri's bogus claims in the old days of First Contact. However, Luis took it in stride and simply wanted to see proof before he completely believed everything told to him. Morgan, on the other hand – well, she wasn't sure. Greed, disgust, fear, calculation, exhilaration; all of those emotions played on the man's face. How he'd respond – she had no idea.

As of this moment, only six people in the galaxy knew that the Minbari and Humanity were related to one another. How they got along with this most horrible yet fascinating secret between them might well determine the fates of two races. In the end, it was decided to keep this secret for now until proof was gathered and a plan of attack that wouldn't destroy two races could be devised.

The problem was that secrets like this had a tendency to come out in its own time and usually at the worst possible moment and President Levy dreaded being on the receiving end of Murphy's law sitting on top of something like this. The one thing she knew was that she did not want to go to war with these people. They were not the Dilgar and – oh my God! - They were cousins of Humanity! In the end that one fact – not proven yet… but! – would determine her course of action.

Morning on the station came all too early.

Again Dukhat had requested another meeting before the Press arrived and this time several Earthforce military officers had been invited to attend. The mood was even more somber than last night. The Centauri Ambassador was inside the spacious room, looking unusually grim as opposed to his usual jovial mood. Gone was that almost irritating, semi-coherent jovialness that surrounded him like a suit of armor.

"There is something that I would like you to see, yes?" he told them. "It is not the Centauri way to air our internal affairs to aliens. But this involves you and the Minbari. yes, in involves us all. Five days ago a Centauri convoy was attacked and destroyed. At first, we believed it to be the Narn, but we were wrong. Most of the transmissions were blocked but one ship managed to burn through a distress call. The transmission was garbled and it took some time to rebuild it. We were able to get one image but that was enough." Londo placed a data crystal into a computer and a picture of a fourteen hundred meter long battleship appeared. Warriors and soldiers on both sides muttered as it was instantly recognizable. "You asked if we'd ever seen these ships. Well, now we have. The Drazi are reporting attacks. They believed it was us. We, of course, would never do such a thing."

Delenn and Branmer glared at the image in front of them.

Seething, Branmer hissed one word. "Scarran.


	9. Chapter 8

_**Chapter Eight**_

"_**War"**_

_**Earthforce One**_

_**Return Trip to Earth- Two Days Later:**_

"Madame President, you have my support for the treaty. It's in everyone's interests. _Babylon Four_ could be our ticket into the history books if we play this right.

"_Babylon Five_," corrected Senator Santiago.

"We're not calling it that until it's finished, official and presented to Earth Alliance on a silver platter," Senator Clark answered.

"Morgan, be serious."

"I am being serious, Madame President," he answered. "We've got problems. There's a war on the horizon and we all know it. The Centauri Emperor knows this and that's why he's pushing the Republic towards closer ties with us as well as with the Minbari." Morgan looked at his companions with calculating eyes. "From a political perspective, these Scarrans are the best thing that's happened to us in a long time," he smirked. "We can legitimately increase the military budget and we would have the full support of two major powers planning the same thing and we're not instigating against our neighbors, and most importantly they know that. Our influence and economy will strengthen and we'll reap the benefits."

"Hurt you to say all of that didn't it, eh, Morgan?" smirked Santiago.

"Anything to help the economy," retorted Clark.

"What about the Minbari?" interrupted the President before those two could start sniping at each other again.

Clark scowled a bit as he thought about them and the implications, (and not his political competitor for the future Presidency of Earth Alliance he assured himself).

"Their proof is conclusive and very compelling. I believe them to be sincere and," he added, "they do have control of the space station. Frankly, it's theirs and I don't even want to think about trying to take it back. So the next best thing is to help them rebuild it, no strings attached. If we can turn it to a center of commerce between the major powers, including the Narn, it could provide a measure of stability and prosperity across this whole sector of space. But it'll need a lot of work to get it back into operating condition."

"Agreed. We should discuss this with congress as soon as possible and not waste any time. But one thing I will insist on."

Yes, Ma'am?"

"Captain Michael Jankowski is to stay away from all future First Contact situations and as far as possible from the station. If what Satai Dukhat says is true, then he might well be a walking magnet for disaster. I don't want to taunt fate as it were."

"Superstitious?" asked Morgan.

"In this case, caution is warranted just to be on the safe side. I don't pretend to know or understand how the flow of history works enough to trust it coming back to bite us on our collective behinds."

Morgan nodded wholeheartedly. He had no intentions of disagreeing with her decision in any form. In fact, he would have suggested the same thing but from political practicality, of course.

"That's a bit unfair, isn't it, Ma'am?" asked Santiago even as he involuntarily shivered as he said the words.

"In this case I choose to err on the side of caution and these are very cautious days, Senator. Look at us. We're flushed with our victories over the Dilgar and now we've discovered relatives who are bigger than we are. There's a potential enemy, bigger and more powerful ships than us; and, we know that time travel is possible."

"If it's true about the time travel," Morgan countered.

"The preliminary evidence is rather strong." Levy held up her hands. "You said so yourself." No one chose to argue with her as she stared Morgan down. "All of this will serve to change our whole political and military policies. We wanted to expand our influence? Well, that station gives us the perfect opportunity to do so. This potential problem with the Scarrans will allow us to expand the military and cooperate with both the Minbari and Centauri, and we will get to acquire new technologies without having to resort to, shall we say '_luck'_."

"We are not thieves, Madame President," Clark said. "We simply acquire things that are to our benefit, as the opportunity arises." Morgan frowned. In truth, every nation in known space whether they acknowledged it or not, were opportunist. Just ask the Narn, Centauri, and the Drazi and the Vree. The list of 'collective collections' went on and on.

"Dukhat seems open to limited negotiations in that area and it would be in our interests to reciprocate in kind. And yes, yes, I know that we're moving fast and maybe a bit carelessly, however the potential rewards are more than worth it. If this goes sour it won't be because of our inactions. The gravity schematics the Minbari have given us alone made this entire first contact more than worth it. I am not going to kill this golden goose especially with the possibility of a new conflict on the horizon."

"Earthforce needs to review the data the Centauri gave us," Santiago said. "We know precious little about these Scarrans and their motivations and we need to correct that as soon as possible."

"I am surprised that they gave us the data freely. Quite unnatural for them to give up something for free. That worries me."

"As it does me, Morgan."

"I will have a talk to Earthforce Chiefs of Staff. In light of the information we've discovered, I will have to change our policies somewhat. This aggressive expansion we've adapted may need to be modified," the President said. She shook her head in dismay. "Gentlemen, I believe we've dodged the bullet here with the Minbari. If only half of what we've learned is true we could have been in a war we couldn't have walked away from."

"Madame President, we could have taken them," Morgan insisted. "Well, maybe," he amended. "Probably so."

"I would like to believe so, too. But in this case, peace is better than war especially because of the circumstances we find ourselves in."

"As long as we don't appear too weak in front of the Minbari. I hate to play devil's advocate but a lot of our people will think that we've sold our world's pride for trinkets. Once they see _Babylon Four_, there are going to be questions."

"Then, we lie for as long as possible," Morgan said, smiling brightly. "So let's make something up now while we have the time to do so. It's only four days to Earth." He smirked, something that he was doing a bit too much of in Elizabeth's opinion. "Your orders to add a day to our travels home is a good decision. We need the extra time to get out stories straight."

_**Earth Alliance territory**_

_**Ceti Star system - two weeks later**_

The jump gate activated, its characteristic energy building enough to produce a tear in the fabric of time and space. Inside the quad structure, a torrent of energy appeared signaling an opening in space into another form of space. Seconds later as the energy stabilized, a huge freighter escorted by two other smaller ships exited and began deceleration protocols as they headed for the colony world of Ceti four.

The planet was barely habitable, just enough to support Human life. Terra-formers had begun work more than sixty years ago, and the experts estimated that the work would be completed within two hundred years if everything went according to the projections.

"_This is Ceti Gamma control to the _Fred's Monitor III_. Captain Shelia Ashford, welcome back."_

"This is _Fred's Monitor III_, glad to be back. Three months is a long time," the Captain responded.

The long-ranged freighter _Fred's Monitor III_ was a _Lambda-Erickson_ deep space hauller. It had a standing crew of four with space for an additional seven. Unlike standard Earth Alliance freighters was capable of haulling over three thousand metric tons of cargo. It was jump capable, unlike the majority of other cargo vessels but also it was unspeakably slow and vulnerable to pirate attack when fully loaded, hence the need for constant protection by the Earth Alliance military vessels or private security corporations. Being a consumable transporter carried a danger all its own.

To her port, four Earthforce _Hyperions_ could be seen in the distance. Several _Starfuries_ continued with their patrol. She continued staring, surprised at the obviously stepped up military presence, but happy that they were there. The freighter's escorts pulled away, vectoring toward one of the numerous small habitats orbiting the planet.

The heavy transport-freighter _Fred's Monitor III_ was the property of the Pro-Zeta Corporation. The huge company specializing in the manufacturing proteins and synthetic meats along with a multitude of other food stuffs and transported said products to Earth colonies throughout the territories. Throughout Earth Alliance, the crews were treated with love and more than a bit of respect as they were the first lines of defense against starvation for many of the Earth Alliance colony worlds.

Earth-derived agricultural plants were notoriously finicky in their growth patterns on foreign worlds. Some grew, some didn't; some became toxic and in one case a strain of sweet corn overran the native plants and poisoned the native wildlife. Whether on artificial habitats or on a planet's surface, Humans and their animals needed to eat and standard algae cakes weren't going to cut it. Needless to say everyone knew that colonial food production was a critical, dangerous and stressful occupation. And it was also a way for Earth Alliance to tax and some said control the colonies.

"_Any problems with pirates?"_ control asked.

"Just one aborted attack, but our escorts did their jobs. And Earthforce is monitoring the lanes pretty tightly for some reason. The trip was mostly uneventful."

"_Should be sitting pretty."_

"That is an affirmative, enough for me to treat the crew to the best you have to offer."

"_I heard that."_

"I have to ask," Ashford said. "Was there a problem with the other freighters? Didn't hear anything, but…"

"_A Centauri convoy was attacked, everybody killed including the escort, the transports destroyed, nothing taken. The Centauri are, of course, seriously pissed."_

"Anybody have an idea of who did it? Was it the Narn?"

"_The Narn didn't do it, although I almost wish they had. Everyone around here is keeping a tight lid on what's really happening. But Earthforce has upgraded security. The Centauri have as well. In fact, both the Centauri and Earthforce are talking about joining patrols in both their space and ours."_

"Will wonders ever cease? That does not sound good."

"_Tell me about it. Okay back to business, deceleration will be complete in one point five hours. You are to proceed to orbit at the coordinates being transmitted now."_

"Coordinates received and confirmed. See you in a bit."

"_Roger that. Don't forget that you're scheduled for calcium regs at Pro-Zeta med."_

"Thank you for mentioning that," the captain growled. She hated being reminded of that medical procedure.

"_Part of the job description,"_ communications officer Elizabeth McTurner responded easily.

Neither Captain Veronica Ashford nor her crewmates were happy at having to undergo those treatments. Weightlessness did a terrible number on the human body. As man's medical knowledge increased, protocols were developed to combat the ravages of weightless travel through space. Bone regeneration from calcium loss was painful but necessary when one's job description required one to travel long voyages through space just to get to the next jump gate and the next, and the next, while in a weightless environment. Needless to say, she was not looking forward to the five day osteo-infusion treatments. Needles the size of small harpoons pushing drugs directly into the bone marrow was not pleasant.

But then, the money was worth it.

"Okay, let's run through the checklist," Ashford said, settling in now. In the distance the huge space dock appeared as a small dot, but that dot represented home, a place the crew had been away from for far too long.

"Yes, Captain."

"Thrusters."

"Thrusters active. Deceleration for two hours ten minutes. Primary fuel tanks at thirty-one percent and steady. ILS active. Shows green across the board."

"Autopilot in ten seconds."

"Radar is clear. Traffic is clean for our approach. Route confirmed on…"

The Scarran battle cruisers _Vetrisswemme _and_ Murdruw _were the first to exit from hetch drive. One destroyer, four frigates, and four heavy cruisers formed up and without preamble headed straight towards the planet. Their unannounced presence instantly tripped every alarm in the system.

"So these are Crichton's people," Captain Tazlax muttered contemptuously at his First Officer. Three Earth ships had just jumped into range using their form of FTL drive favored in this portion of space that reminded the Captain of starburst in some ways. "More advanced than we were led to believe, but still somewhat primitive."

The huge Scarran officer nodded slowly. His huge lizard-like face turned quickly towards his superior officer. "Your orders?"

War Minister Ahkna's orders were clear.

"This planet is to be sterilized. According to our data, it is a central base for food production for the Earth Alliance. When it is neutralized, the Humans colonies will begin to starve. It will help force the Earth to surrender to our demands quickly, or their colonies will suffer a lingering slow death. The _Vetrisswemme _and_ Murdruw _will engage and destroy incoming warships. The two frigates and two cruisers will support us. I want our fighters to destroy all enemy defenses, transports, and non-combatant vessels in the area. The rest are to guard the jump gate to make sure that no one escapes. Their ships are depended on the gate to enter hyperspace."

"What of their FTL capable vessels?"

"Run them down before they can escape."

"Understood. Orders are being transmitted now."

There were no requests for demands or surrender from the enemy. Earthforce ships immediately identified them as hostile with ninety-eight plus percent probability that they were Scarran warships.

Forty _Starfuries_ flew ahead of the four _Hyperions_ engaging the incoming Scarran fighter craft. The Earth ships were more maneuverable as was seen by both sides in the first seconds of the battle. The Scarran fighter craft however were heavily armored and their weapons were far more powerful. Pulse plasma fire crisscrossed with Scarran energy weapons. _Starfuries_ were blown apart with the first hits while the strike attack craft survived relatively unscathed. Starfury pilotsquickly regrouped turned and attacked once more. This time Earthforce scored kills as they discovered the vulnerable rear sections of the enemy fighters. Scarran pilots discovered equally quickly that Human pilots as compared to Peacekeepers had superior training and tactical insights that made fighter combat very treacherous. Both sides fought hard but the _Starfuries_ were out-numbered and their numbers were dwindling quickly against two-to-one odds.

The twelve _Hyperions_ and two N_ovas_ tasked to protect the system dived into the battle against the battleships. Particle lasers and heavy plasma cannons from the Earth Alliance scored the first victory. A Scarran cruiser's shields failed and the ship was blown apart. The _Vetrisswemme_ retaliated, its huge energy canon and Scarran version of frag cannons, huge rail guns that spit out three thousand kilogram explosive projectiles tore into one _Hyperion,_ a _Midwinter_ class cruiser. It was hit, literally blown apart, and seconds later another joined its sister in complete destruction. A _Nova_ jumped into the fray using its particle beam and plasma cannons to wreak havoc on the _Murdruw. _The shields withstood the first and second bursts, but not the third. Explosive decompression almost crippled the ship. Severely damaged, the _Murdruw_ fired back and hit the dreadnought, destroying an engine. Scarran frag cannons locked on and fired but the Earthforce ship's defense grid protected it from the majority of the smaller rounds. The _Nova_ retaliated and sliced apart a Scarran frigate. Two enemy rounds made it through and maimed the _Nova_. Reactors scrammed and the ship started drifting.

When the Scarran destroyer joined in the attack, the remaining Earthforce ships began being crushed by the cruisers, frigates and battle cruisers. Unable to help and greatly outnumbered, the remaining _fury_ pilots continued to fight for their lives in a desperate retreat. The few surviving _Hyperions_ and the remaining _Nova_ started firing missiles as they struggled to regroup and survive.

There was a flash and then, several more huge flashes that lit up space from behind the _Fred's Monitor III._

Sensor screens on the bridge faded into static as energy pulses momentarily overwhelmed the electronics on board the ship. "Lord, they're firing nukes at each other!" Captain Ashford yelled. Glancing though the tiny window she could glance at other civilian vessels attempting to run away from the fighting. "Who are these people?"

Command and control is updating our tactical info," her First Officer Ikiko Hokida quickly informed her. "Data link says identify them as Scarran."

"Never heard of them! Who are they?"

"No idea."

"We need to get out of here," demanded Victoria. "Start emergency acceleration protocols. Engine reverse in thirty seconds."

"It's going to damage them," Ikiko said unnecessarily. He didn't want to say the obvious but it was his duty to do so. The looks he received made him cringe.

"_This is engineering, what's happening up there?" _

"Tony, we're in a middle of a war. We're leaving now!"

"_Who are they? Is it the Narn?"_

"No! Concentrate on the engines."

"_Yes, Ma'am," _the man nervously responded._ "Main thrusters in thirty seconds, reverse thrusters deactivation in fifteen. Shunting all fuel reserves to main tanks."_

" Captain, Ceti C&C is transmitting flash code _Alpha-Foxtrot-Rabbit override command!_"

"Confirm that," ordered Shelia. Her heart was pounding. All of the training exercises couldn't possibly compare to the real thing as they were now experiencing.

"Confirmed," screamed Hokida. His voice was higher than normal, a sure sign that the young man was close to panic. "Coordinates updating."

The situation was far, far worse that she first believed. Flash code _Alpha-Foxtrot-Rabbit_ took priority over everything."Oh, my God," she whispered to herself.

_Fred's Monitor _III, unlike the far majority of Earth Alliance freighters and transports had jump capability. Because of this, it was designated as a 'rabbit', a ship which could produce a jump point, allowing other non-jump point capable ships to escape to the safety of hyperspace. There were five civilian ships in the area that had jump engines. The other ninety or so active civilian ships were heading for specific rendezvous points designated by Ceti Gamma control to jump to safety at full burn.

"Darn it. Tony, power up the jump engines. Ikiko, head towards the rendezvous point. Prepare to disengage cargo holds."

"Twenty seconds before engine ignition."

"Roger that."

"Disengage cargo train, now."

"I hate this! The company's gonna charge us for abandoning their property no matter what the reasons." Ikiko blanched when she spotted a _Hyperion_ converted into subatomic particles by two high-yield nukes. "Preparing to disengage at your mark."

"Main thrusters firing in fifteen seconds."

"When main thrusters fire, head directly for rendezvous point."

"Ten seconds to thruster ignition."

"Ready…disengage."

The three hundred fifty meter long cargo train was left behind as the small carrier _Fred's Monitor _III left it floating in the void of space. The abandoned train's acceleration was at a crawl now and could be picked up later, if it was still intact after the fight.

"Cargo disengaged, Captain."

"Engines engaged at full thrust."

"Captain, receiving flashcomm. G.O.D.s are active and pinging 'friend or foe'. We're in the green."

"I can't believe this!"

"We're acceleration to point _Alpha-Foxtrot-Rabbit_-seven- seven- three- two. Waypoint one in seven minutes ten seconds. Nine civilian ships are converging on our position."

"Tell them to hurry! We're not waiting. If they're not here, it'll be too bad!"

"Oh God, OH GOD! We just lost another _Nova_!" Communications Officer Daniel Ramirez screamed. He had hacked into military channels and listened horrified as people he knew were being killed. There were so any orders being given by desperate captains, and so many screams coming from the dying on the comms that he felt sickened, threatening to vomit in zero gee. "Other warships are falling back. Three Starfuries left, trying to make a run for it."

"Transition waypoint, two minutes, six seconds."

A minute later, Danielle yelled, "all of our warships are gone!"

"Stop yelling!"

"_Jump engines are charged and ready down here,"_ announced a frightened Tony.

"Oh, crap! We have two fighters on our tail."

"How long before they're in firing range? The demanded the Captain.

"Don't know, but they're coming in awfully fast. The three _furies_ are vectoring in, trying for an intercept."

The Captain said nothing merely concentrating on reaching the waypoint. In the distance she could see the tiny dot that was the jump gate next to another tiny dot that had to be one of the bigger ships she'd seen in the battle.

"_Furies_ are engaging, both fighters are responding. Weapons fire!"

"We have a warship vectoring in on us. Estimated weapons range, sixty six seconds, if we're reading this right!"

"Fifty-five seconds to _Alpha-Foxtrot-Rabbit._"

Over the comms, Ramirez listened to new horrors. The screams of terror were now coming from the freighters and transports trying to escape other Scarran ships close enough now to fire on them as they ran them down. There was no offer of surrender. Missiles and energy fire began peppering and killing dozens of ships and crews. The comm officer, along with the rest of the bridge crew listened as the multitude of voices slowly started to disappear. The Starfuries meanwhile, had managed to fight off what would be later identified as Scarran _Stryker_-class fighters but one more fury was lost.

"Open jump point!" snapped Ashford.

"Jump point, opened. We are free and clear to navigate."

In front of _Fred's Monitor III,_ hyperspace opened and the ship, followed by seven other vessels and two surviving furies escaped to safety. Three more surviving _Alpha-Foxtrot-Rabbit_ designate transports also jumped along with a total of seven more survivors. The other seventy-two either failed to make it to the rendezvous point in time or didn't survive the attacks from Scarran fighters. Another thirty were no in position or condition to even leave orbit and were presumed lost.

"My God, we've made it," Ikiko whispered.

"Stop saying that. Lock onto beacon six-one-three-seven. We're making a run for the Orion colonies. Let everyone know and see if they want to come to come with us. Check with the _Starfury_ pilots and see if they can dock with somebody. Their systems should just about be exhausted."

"Yes, Captain."

"_How are you doing up there?"_ Tony yelled_. Is everything alright? Are they following us?"_

"No sign of a jump point opening. The survivors have acknowledged our transmission and are following our lead, except for the _Renault _and their group. They're heading for _Proxima_."

"It's further away," Ikiko mumbled. "Hope they make it."

"Okay people," announced Ashford. "Let's start with the numbers. Systems check. Let's make sure that the other ships are okay. We don't want anyone lost now. Ramirez, are you okay?"

"Si, Ma'am. I'm Okay."

"Start transmitting a distress call to all Earth Alliance sectors. Let them know what's happened."

Yes, Ma'am. This is _Fred's Monitor III, _broadcasting a general distress…"

_**Ceti Gamma II**_

"Two frigates and one cruiser were lost, Captain Tazlax," said Trun, his First Officer. "The _Murdruw _is damaged but can be repaired within twelve arns. Ten of our fighters were lost another seven damaged. The Human particle weapons were more effective against our shields than we expected."

"See to it that our shields are adjusted to compensate for the Human weapons,"Captain Tazlax ordered. The officer bowed and began to issue orders.

The undamaged battle cruiser, the light cruisers, and the destroyer proceeded towards Ceti Gamma II. The G.O.D.s were already firing long distance shots at the incoming Scarran fleet and in response, the screening frigates and cruisers were firing back and destroying the global defense satellites. Missiles fired by the defense systems were being knocked out of space before they could hit their targets. All too soon the defenses were gone, having done little to no damage to the incoming enemy. Scarran fighters pounced on the transports and freighters still docked in orbit, sparing no one. Ships, a few small dry docks and space stations were sent tumbling and burning into the planet's atmosphere.

Twenty minutes later, it was all over.

"Captain, we're receiving a tachyon signals over multiple channels. They are offering to surrender."

"Their offers are meaningless. Ignore them."

"Yes, Captain."

With orbit secured, the Scarran vessels moved in. The battleships, cruisers, frigates, and the destroyer scanned and targeted every major city, all industrial complexes and cultivated farmland on the three huge continents on the Earth Alliance planet."

"Launch the missiles."

Thirty-five missiles broke into the atmosphere of Ceti Gamma II. One hundred kilometers from the surface each missile separate into thirteen smaller missiles which vectored toward their singular target. When each of the seven megaton warheads struck their target, the groupings detonated the combined force of ninety-one megatons. Everything and everyone was vaporized for three to four hundred kilometers in every direction. Thirty-five mushroom clouds could be seen from orbit spreading across the planet. Of the twelve or so million people dwelling on one of Earth Alliances largest colonies, none of the few surviving people would live to see the next twenty-four hours.

_**Epsilon Eridani**_

_**Valen'tha**_

The private chambers of Dukhat sat Delenn and Branmer silently witnessing the growing confrontational conversation. The Minbari leader did his best to repress his growing irritation, however in this situation repressing one's self was not in his best interest, not when dealing with the leader of the Star Riders warrior clan.

"The Grey Council has made the decision and it is final. I will not return the station to Minbari territory. It will become a center where the different races can come together and discuss their mutual grievances and shared interests."

"You mean '_you'_ have decided this, not the Grey Council," retorted Shakiri. "The Star Riders were against this foolish venture from the beginning. The different warrior clans are in agreement. The station was given to us by the Vorlons and Valen, to be used by us in our times of need. It was a birthright of us, a symbol of Minbari unity and strength. We cherish the memories and honor that it represents, but has now been tainted. Why would you offer to share it with the Earthers? They are primitives, a young race with no concept of what it means to have honor. And you gave them our technology! The leaders of the warrior castes want to know why this was done."

Dukhat moved closer to the warrior. "Shakiri, our people have remained isolated within our borders for far too long. We have grown complacent. We have not bothered to associate with other races because we considered them to be beneath us. As a result, our people have little understanding of the universe around us. It is time for us to change that perception among the people. The station we venerate was discarded and we then 'misplaced' it for a thousand years. When we found it, the station was ready to fall from orbit. Now, you are correct in saying that it represented the hope and honor of the Minbari people in our fight against the enemies of the light. But the Shadows are gone as are the Vorlons, never to return."

"So you are saying that the rumors are true?" Shakiri looked at him suspiciously. "Are they truly gone?"

"Yes," Dukhat answered. "I have spoken to the Vorlons. The war is over before it begins. The forces of Light are no longer needed to defend against the coming darkness. Since this is true, what does that mean for us? Shall we glory in what was for the next thousand years and become like the Centauri, dreaming of glorious times long gone? Shall we grow old keeping to ourselves or go forward, helping the younger races stretch forth and mature into something that we all can be proud of? Should we hide within our borders, allowing others to influence races in ways that are not beneficial to all concerned or do we take action, stand up and begin to teach?"

"And perhaps learn as well," whispered Branmer.

Shakiri thought for a moment as he prepared his response. If what he was being told was true and he had no doubt that it was since Dukhat wasn't a liar, then what direction would destiny take the Minbari people?

"The younger races require training," he admitted. "We can do that, train them to become mature in the ways of the universe. But they would have to be guided carefully. Control would have to be maintained if they are to have a chance to become what they should be."

"My objective is not to control the younger races," Dukhat responded. "The Vorlons and Shadows tried that and failed. Guide them somewhat yes, however they must become what they are destined to be on their own terms not ours."

"Without our leadership, they cannot mature into what they are supposed to be. I have watched the Earthers. They are primitives. They are arrogant, with little understanding of how to treat their betters. They are as crude as their vessels are ugly, no sense of elegance at all. "

"And are we better than they, or less arrogant?" Delenn asked. "Or are we closer to them than you would believe?"

"I cannot see it," scoffed Shakiri. "Their war with the Dilgar was impressive for such weak a weak people but that one war has them believing that they are more than they are. Before we of the warrior caste could train them they must be taught humility."

Dukhat repressed a smile. "Are the warriors so angry that they don't have a war to fight?"

Shakiri stood up straighter. "We are warriors. We need to prove ourselves. If you were of the warrior caste, you would understand that."

"Then it is a shame that the Earthers fought and defeated the Dilgar instead of our own warriors," Dukhat surmised. "But then again we were safe within our boarders, not concerned about the affairs of others. We didn't have the opportunity to try and in trying, to make a difference," he sarcastically added.

"If the Dilgar couldn't defeat the Earthers then they were not worthy of our attention," Shakiri grandly announced. But there was a hint of a smile on his face as he conceded the point. "Our concern should be with the Scarrans and finding their home planet. They are still around and must be dealt with."

"On this I agree," Dukhat said. "We need to find them. So what does the warrior caste plan to do about it?"

Surprised, Shakiri prepared to answer. Before he could however, command ship went to alert status. A few moments later, Dukhat received a communications from the Shai Alyt of the ship. All within the room were furious.

Five _Sharlins_ and their escorts were destroyed less than a light year from the Pagati system. How did this happen?" Shakiri was demanding to know as he paced back and forth. "Who would dare attack us within our own territories?"

"What happened?" ordered Dukhat. "What are the details?"

"We are still assembling the reports," the Shai Alyt told the Minbari leader. "The Yash _Sharlin_ patrol was attacked by two warships. They were huge, several times larger than our largest ships. Our forces managed to damage one of the ships before they were defeated. The survivors fled before our forces could apprehend them."

"Who attacked us?," Branmer demanded.

"Power signature is consistent to the ones we have for the Scarran war ships," the Shai Alyt answered in a voice that barely suppressed his own growing anger.

Dukhat glared at Shakiri. "It's apparent that the universe is providing our people with the test you so desperately wanted."

"So it seems," agreed Shakiri. There was an old Minbari phase that brushed across his soul.

_'Be careful what you wish for'._


	10. Chapter 9

_**Chapter Nine**_

"ISN special report: _Five hours ago, the Ceti Gamma II complex was officially reported destroyed by forces as yet unidentified. Despite dedicated searches by Search and Rescue elements of Earthforce, there have been no survivors found on the surface. The planet was attacked by the unknown forces using nuclear weapons fired from orbit. At this time no one has come forward to claim responsibility for the attack. Local governments have strongly denied having anything to do with the terrorist action but rumors strongly suggest that…_

_**Proxima Star system:**_

Earth Alliance's mid-range military base located in the Proxima Centauri system had always been called Proxima instead of its full name in order to avoid any possible conflict or connection with the Centauri Republic. The name change also served to negate any possible claims that Humanity was related to the Centauri in any fashion or form. The system was also known as Alpha Centauri C, located only four and a half light years from Earth. For obvious reasons, the modified name 'Proxima' stuck and for the first few years, every politician on Earth called it that, making it absolutely clear that the Centauri had no possible claims to the system.

Despite superficial similarities, Humans and Centauri were definitely unrelated species and Humanity went out of their way to delineate that difference to the other races, many whom looked at the Centauri with suspicion and contempt due to actions by previous generations of the Republic and their expansionists operations. Initially, the Narns had been particularly hostile during First Contact with Humanity, having to be assured on multiple occasions that Humans and Centauri weren't species related even if they did appear superficially similar to one another.

The star system also served as an important communications junction for Earth Alliance as a whole, being not only the major tachyon relay hub which allowed communications between Earth and their colonies as well the military forces situation throughout several star systems, but it also had the second largest established Human population in the region. Multiple jump gates in the system served as major conduits between Earth and all of the colonies, and also served as a jumping off point for commerce and exploration. Three of the planets in the system had colonies. Two were domed habitations similar to Mar's habitations and one was situated on a world hospitable enough for Humanity to survive without additional life support. Several hundred thousand transplanted Earthers lived in the system protected by over one hundred _Nova_ and _Hyperion_ class warships currently making it the largest and most heavily defended star system by Humans outside of the Sol system. Most were older ships that had served well in the Dilgar war but they still packed a lot of power.

Sleep was something that didn't come easily to General Yamada in the years that he had commanded Earthforce's most powerful military force. The colonies, the small operations, the space lanes, everything needed protection from marauders, pirates and even the occasional unknown alien race trying to take advantage or make a quick score against some unwary freighter. Food distribution was a priority mission and many of his warships were patrolling the space lanes between jump gates from Proxima to their furthest outposts. He was responsible for those operations and those duties usually kept him up most of the time. Therefore sleep was a luxury he treasured when he could get some. But tonight was going to be one of those nights. The fact that it was three o'clock in the morning when Gold Channel had signaled a priority message had destroyed any possible hopes of grabbing anymore naptime in the immediate future.

"Oh-three hundred hours in the morning," the fifty-five year-old grouched. He'd been waiting for the priority call to be completed for the last twenty minutes. He was tired and somewhat cranky this time and the water splashing in his face didn't help remove the tiredness from his eyes. "They always called at this time in the morning."

Always.

He should have been used to it by now.

He wasn't.

"_Gold Channel, open," _the computer finally announced.

On the small screen was a very familiar face glaring at him. _"General Yamada, authentication code,"_ a very stern-looking General Lefcourt ordered.

Something was up. His old warrior's instinct had kicked in and the tiredness faded quickly. "Ten-Seven-Seven-Eight- Beta-Niner-Tango," the commander of the Proxima forces crispy responded.

"_Authentication code confirmed. Good evening, Yamada. I have bad news. Six hours ago, the Ceti Gamma colony was wiped out. Everything in orbit was destroyed, the defense ships were pushed aside and the colony and support stations were nuked from orbit. We just informed the press of the event."_

"The supplies…" began General Yamada aghast.

"_Everything was completely destroyed," _replied Lefcourt grimly. "_Anyone who couldn't get away was killed. I don't have to tell you what this means."_

"No, sir." Yamada was incensed. In one blow, just about every single colony minus Proxima was threatened with starvation. With the main food distribution center destroyed, many of the smaller colonies had at best six weeks of supplies left. "Who were they?"

"_The Scarrans. They knew exactly how to cripple us and we don't even know where their bases are to hit back, yet. We haven't given the general population full details the about who attacked us but they'll find out soon enough. As of now, all ships are on full alert. Earth Alliance is at war. I want every ship we have prepared for a possible attack. Inform all patrols to challenge any Scarran ship or unidentified vessel they encounter in Earth Alliance territory. Don't, repeat, do not confront either Minbari or Centauri ships. They're in the same boat and are working with us. I'm depending on you to hold Proxima and keep the lanes clear. Any sign of activity inform Earth Dome immediately."_

"Understood, sir," respondedYamada said, his mind reeling with memories of the last war and horror that been Warmaster Deathwalker. The last thing he expected was to be at war again so soon. Suddenly those older ships didn't quite seem so comforting.

"_I'm sending you everything we have on them. Good luck." _

_**Caliban Sector:**_

The Scarran soldiers who knew War Minister Ahkna had the common sense to know when to avoid her during times like this as she stalked the halls of the fifty percent completed _Hunter_-class space station. Her impatience and viciousness towards her own underlings was well known and any minor infraction could set her off. This made her a much feared commander. But on the other hand, it increased War Coordinator Rylack's popularity among both Scarrans and Charrids who saw him as a tough but fair commander that could lead them into battle and not use them as simple fodder for his own glory.

These small but vitally important facts were missed by an increasingly hostile Ahkna. Her adversary's increasing popularity and respect among her own forces caused her to constantly reassess his threat to her power, and the more she asserted her authority the more the Scarrans moved towards said adversary. The obvious-to-everyone-but-her reasons why this was happening continued to elude her. As such, her only conclusion she was able to draw from the developing situation was that she was somehow remiss in instilling enough fear to those under her command. Therefore, in tightening her grasp in order to increase the fear factor among her forces, she succeeded in instilling more fear, but she also inadvertently increase the hatred and anger being generated against her.

War Coordinator Rylack's probing expedition to the edge of Minbari territory had, despite her wish that he would have conveniently laid down and died, been useful in determining their offensive capability. In short, the conclusion was that the Minbari were dangerous in the extreme. Their weapons were more effective than Peacekeepers and they possessed a stealth system that so far her people hadn't been able to yet easily counter. Preliminary reports being sent back to the Emperor stressed the need to negate them as a threat if the Empire was going to establish a solid foothold in this part of space.

The Scarran commander entered the command room and everyone tensed a reaction that always pleased her as it gave indications of her authority over her betters. She moved directly to one of the communications technicians, standing behind him saying nothing just long enough to make the seven foot tall alien nervous. He really wasn't nervous as she did this all of the time, but he was a good actor and it kept unnecessary punishments from being inflicted by his crazed commander.

"Establish communications with the War Coordinator," she ordered.

The technician said nothing as he began his work. A few minutes later he turned and half hissed, half said, "contact established. "War Coordinator Rylack is responding." Although he deferred to Ahkna easily, it never did any good to show unnecessary weakness in front of his commander. That would invite some sort of sadistic response from her.

"_You wished to speak to me?"_ he asked quietly.

She hated when he was respectful. She could never tell if he were serious or being sarcastic and he stood there arrogantly facing her as if he were the Emperor himself.

"Yes," she announced. "Your evaluation of the Minbari has been useful for our long-term plans. But the mission is moving too slowly and I wish to advance the Emperor's cause. That's something we can't do from here. We're too far from Earth to pursue an effective campaign."

"_Agreed." _

"I have a proposal," she stated. "We have a map of the territories of the Earth Alliance provided by our captives. We have an accurate assessment of their capabilities and their resources. I am of the opinion that we can establish a holding in their territory close enough to Earth so that we can achieve our primary objective with little interference from the Centauri or Minbari."

"_You're forgetting about their wormhole weapons."_

"I don't think they have them, whatever they may be" she answered. "John Crichton has the knowledge, but it may not be privy to his people. Consider that none of our interrogations of the local species have yielded any hint of such a weapon. He and he alone likely have access to this information and have yet to return home with it. If this is true then we have little to fear but time, if he is indeed trying to return home."

She nodded in the affirmative._ "It is a possibility, but if they have such weapons then we will be destroyed."_

"If they don't have such weapons then we control Earth."

"_Agreed,"_ he repeated. _Your idea is audacious. What are your orders?"_

She couldn't help it. She smiled smugly. "We move our entire force and take **Beta Durani VII, the star system next to Sol. We take over the colony and crush their military base and establish our presence there. We then take Earth."**

"_A bold plan," _he emphasized once more_. "You are aware that towing the station will require two mothens to get to the coordinates._ _The _Trentran_ can travel no faster than hetch three pulling such an object of that mass." _

"That is why I propose we send my command and the ships under your command there first to establish claim. The _Trentran_ construction ships can bring the station and remaining personnel as soon as they can get there."

"_I hesitate to wait for such a valuable and necessary resource while we are in the middle of hostile territory without immediate re-enforcements." _Ahkna couldn't help it. She hissed in anger at her plan being dismissed._ But she quickly found her assumptions to be in error as _Rylack_ continued speaking. "Maybe we should handicap Crichton's people further before we strike,"_ the War Coordinator suggested as his plan began to form.

"What do you mean?" she half growled. She felt her idea was sound and particularly didn't like anyone modifying them.

"_The station is not yet fully operational and final construction will be hampered as we move the station. If someone such as me were to act as an ambassador to Earth Alliance, I might be able to convince them that these attacks are a result of malcontents operating in this area of space, committing atrocities in the Emperor's name. The ruse would only have to last long enough to allow enough time for our station to be completed and functional when we acquire the _**_Beta Durani_** system.****

The station did require and extra week to be completed, two if it was transported while being worked on. With any luck her rival might even be killed and his demise couldn't be placed on her. The War Minister thought about it for a few moments. She admitted that his plan did have merit and as ambassador he might be able to determine if the extremely valuable _Crystherium Utilia_ or some form of it was located on the planet. Crichton had called the _Strelitzia,_ the 'bird of paradise flower'. No Scarran living knew of the flower's origin even after covertly searching hundreds of worlds for thousands of cycles. The fact that Crichton had recognized and identified the flower with barely a passing thought had sent shockwaves throughout the Empire. The irony that the flower may have its origins on his world was not lost to her or her husband. "It seems to be a valid modification of the plan," she said long after she had mentally approved of it. "Any delay would be advantageous to our preparations. You have my permission to implement it."

"_Then it is agreed. The locals can't detect us in hetch. I calculate that we can rendezvous at the intended system in two weeks before we establish our presence in Earth Alliance territory. The colony is of no importance. The base must be destroyed, but we will not render the planet uninhabitable for our own people. The Earthers will of course, be compelled to defend their territory."_

"Then we will show them the meaning of fear when we crush their forces and take their world from them."

"_May it be as easy as you think it will be," _he intoned in a way he knew she'd hate._ "The majority of the fleet will be under your tender care, War Minister. I head to Earth with one cruiser and a frigate as escort."_

"That's not enough to ensure your safety if the Earthers throw their full might against you. I don't want valuable resources destroyed uselessly."

"_Fear not,"_ he responded. _"This is the idea I have in mind."_

As he relayed the plan, the War Minister's respect for her competitor raised a small notch. The link closed and the War Minister suppressed the sigh of relief. The fear bearing down on her lifted somewhat. Her husband was an unforgiving master and unnecessary delays had consequences she didn't want to contemplate. Now she would be able to do something useful. Quickly she relayed the plan and sent a message packet to her husband the Emperor along with a request for an update on the Scarran Taxan fleet he promised because she was sure they'd be needed when the Earthers and surrounding powers went ballistic.

_**Earth Alliance, Earth:**_

_**Minbari ambassador's quarters**_

"Again, I assure you that we had nothing to do with the attack on your vessels!" screamed Ambassador G'Kar of the Narn Regime. "As much as we hate you and wish that your whole race would succumb to a convenient explosive supernova, it wasn't us who attacked those vessels. We are a peace-loving society who suffered from the injustices of a war-mongering species."

"Peace-loving?" exclaimed Ambassador Londo Mollari of the Centauri Republic. "So you claim! You Narns are always behind things that go bump in the night. That is the expression, yes? You are always trying to instigate a war."

"You attacked us first!" the Narn ambassador screamed indignantly.

"It is a shame that we didn't wipe you out when we had the chance," Mollari growled. The universe would be a better place with you people gone."

"You see, Ambassador Calir?" G'Kar growled back. With Mollari's statement, G'Kar seemed to be totally justified in his attitude and his actions and he was milking it for all it was worth. "You see! That's what I mean! They are savage, vicious and, brutal creatures. Earth's allegiance with them will only cause them suffering in the long run. Your alliance would openly serve to make them more aggressive towards the peace-loving people of the galaxy!"

In Valen's name! If this wasn't an example of why the Minbari should have stayed isolated, the new ambassador to Earth would be hard pressed to find a better example. Calir was a Minbari Council elder, the rank being equivalent of a high ranking senator, respected by the whole world as one of those who 'watches with wisdom'. Right now he wanted to shoot these two aliens and end all of their mutual miseries. He knew this was a very non-Minbari like feeling, however it gave his soul peace just thinking about it. Never had he seen two such contumacious, opinionative, intractable, crotchety, obdurate excuses for sentient beings in his life. Their mutual hatred for one another was undeniable and the worst part was their incredible desire to force the representative of the Minbari Federation to side with them. The entire thing was a headache. He was still trying to understand exactly whom the Earth Alliance was really allied with. Neither one of the species seemed worthy to form an alliance with, not without suffering a great deal in the process.

"Ambassadors, your more than obvious hatred for one another does not inspire faith from the Minbari," he said diplomatically. "Ambassador Mollari, given these uncertain times, I believe that the offer of increased security patrols along the space lanes by the Narn should be taken under serious consideration. It will benefit everyone, given these trying times."

"Except us!" roared the Centauri. "How can it benefit us? We know nothing about this new threat, but we do know of the threat that the Narns represent to the people of the Centauri Republic. They would not lift a finger to help if one of our ships were in need of assistance."

"Yes, we would," G'Kar smirked. "What better way to prove ourselves against a people who turned our beautiful world into a near barren wasteland because of their boundless greed and pathological need to destroy everything they touch? My people would make sure that any Centauri vessel would be protected to the best of our ability if anything were to happen to them." He turned and stared at the Minbari ambassador. "We'd do this, if only to prove that we are better than those certain individuals whom I shall not mention in this room, to prove our sincerity to the Minbari and Earth Alliance in these troubled times."

"Narn interests haven't been attacked!" Londo yelled. "It was Centauri, Minbari and Human blood that was spilled. For all we know, you are in cahoots with these Scarrans or whoever they are."

G'Kar was aghast at the very idea. "How dare you imply that we are somehow to blame for these events," he announced, yelling back in righteous indignation. He turned back to glare at the Minbari ambassador with the every growing headache. "These are the kind of people you are trying to deal with!"

Ambassador Calir did his best to remain outwardly impassive during the whole debate. The first time he had met with these two ambassadors, he was at a complete loss. The Humans had a saying 'being out of ones depth' that adequately described the situation here. The last thing he expected to be doing here was to act as a mediator between two squabbling governments. He barely knew how to be an ambassador was when Dukhat had shoved this job right up his – what was the Earth word for that? Ah, yes – and told him that the experience would be for the good of him and of the Minbari people. As relative isolationists, they had little experience dealing with interplanetary politics and his time here had been a horrendous learning experience. His Prime aide, Draal was even less happy dealing with the intricacies of Human and alien political culture, but he had made a mistake and had laughed at Calir's predicament. That arrogantly amused laugh had been Draal's downfall.

Semi-retired or not, Calir had on a whim, asked Dukhat that the teacher become his aide when he was assigned to Earth. Dukhat agreed and Draal spent three weeks in the foulest mood that Calir had ever been blessed to see. _'All because of a smirk," _Calir mused. It was quite hysterical, actually. Then the ambassador had sobered as his thoughts flowed along the same path. What had '_he_' done to deserve such a fate he wondered?

Whether it was a punishment or something else entirely, he was here for the duration. Young Delenn had arrived late yesterday and had spent the evening with he and Draal catching up on both old and new business. After the last attack on Minbari shipping almost three weeks ago, things had been quiet, almost too much so and still there had been no hints of where this enemy's world or base was. Even the Rangers had, so far, turned up nothing. Vessels from several governments were participating in the search but there was nothing, not even rumors. The fact that the Scarrans used a completely different form of undetectable FTL travel had made the entire sector tense. Hence the offer by the somewhat dubious Narn was being taken seriously by Earth Alliance and the Minbari. However, the Centauri Republic in the form of one Londo Mollari had rejected the idea of aid coming from the Narns. Their hostility towards one another was forcing his hand. But as a member of an elder younger race, he felt it was his duty to make Minbari wishes known.

"The Minbari government agrees and appreciates the help of the Narn Regime," he said over the screaming protests of the Centauri representative. "I am sure the Narns will do their utmost to protect and provide the safety every ship in their patrol sectors. However," he added darkly, "if there are any incidents, in any form, if there are any hints of misconduct involving the protection of any ship including Centauri, then we will examine that incident most thoroughly and take decisive action accordingly. Were an incident to happen, the Minbari people would be '_dishonored'._ We are a peaceful nation but we will not hesitate to punish those who would break their promise with us concerning this matter. Do you agree to this, Ambassador G'Kar?"

The Narn was about to yell 'yes!' when he stopped. His eyes narrowed as he scrutinized the old Minbari's face. What he saw disturbed him. "Yes, my people will agree," he answered finally. "We will not break our oath provided that the Centauri make the same agreement and be held equally responsible if they break it."

"The Centauri always keep their agreements," Londo huffed.

"Hahahahaha. Do you agree, Ambassador Mollari?" G'Kar dared.

Now it was Londo's turn to really think about the consequences. Whatever else was known about the Minbari, one thing was clear. They were a dangerous people to cross and his Emperor had ordered him to establish a solid political agreement with them to the exclusion of just about anything else. If this was the price, then he would swallow his reservations and go ahead with it. "Yes, it is agreed. We, the Centauri people will do our best protect even the Narn trash hullers," he mumbled under his breath, "if they're in trouble. But if they are found to be in bed with these aliens, all bets are off."

"We reserve the same right," G'Kar countered quickly.

"Good, as do we," Calir said. "We're not a happy people now and treachery of that sort would indeed have terrible consequences."

The warning had been made clear and both Ambassadors left a lot quieter than they had entered.

"You should have seen their faces," Calir droned. Both Draal and Delenn sat, looking horrified, yet amused at the same time. "They couldn't have been more morose if I had pronounced a death sentence upon the both of them."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but you did just that," Draal casually mentioned.

"Yes, I guess I did," Calir answered after thinking about it for a moment. Then, he frowned.

With a start, the Satai understood that he _'hadn't'_ realized the portent of his words. "Ambassador, are you trying to start a war?" asked Delenn.

"Dukhat hasn't given me instructions to do so." Draal and Delenn smiled at the joke as they bowed. She had been fooled for a moment. "However, these younger races should be reminded from time to time who they are dealing with."

Dinner had been served and now they were sipping an Earth tea blend, one that had been suggested by the Earther ambassador a week earlier. It was strong and flavorful bearing a passing resemblance to a few Minbari blends. It was soothing and presented a pleasant counterpoint to the next topic of discussion.

"Members of the warrior caste are starting to express their displeasure with Dukhat and his decisions concerning Earth Alliance and its people," she started. "Some of them have openly stated that the problems of the Earthers are not our concern. They share the apprehension about these Scarrans but the alliances and ties being established by Dukhat among the younger races are making them uncomfortable." She frowned as she thought about the mystery surrounding the Scarrans. "It must be a reason for their attacks. They mentioned a John Crichton; a Human Earth Alliance has claimed to have no knowledge of. Then there are those that have suggested that we use Earth Alliance as bait to pull the Scarrans out of hiding since they were the subject of the initial attack. Others have suggested that we offer Earth our protection."

Draal was shocked but not surprised. "They want to turn Earth into a protectorate? I imagine this is Shakiri's suggestion."

"Yes," confirmed Delenn. "He is having a difficult time adjusting to the truth."

"I understand," Draal answered. "This is new to all of us. A thousand years of waiting for the darkness and all of it for nothing. Then this revelation about Humanity… It's frightening and I find myself wishing for the comfort of fighting the Shadows. Sometimes I have trouble sleeping at night knowing this unsettling truth. When I look at them, I become confused at what I'm supposed to feel."

Calir nodded. "I feel the same, as do we all. Delenn, how many know the truth?"

"Less than ten of our people," She answered. "Shakiri knows and it hurts him. I saw it in his eyes. He abhors the truth but at the same time wants to protect Earth because of the very truth he is afraid of. His indecision has confused many of the warriors. Many of them are assuming that their leader either wants protectorate status or complete isolation from Earth and the other races. His silences only serve to heighten the tension. The people are uncomfortable with this new openness but they trust Dukhat and he is very serious about tying our two people together." She looked worried as she spoke. "He's asking that President Levy come to Minbar to visit. That's the real reason why I'm here, to formally present the request."

Draal looked at his favorite, former pupil. She was a talented liar, he knew that. But after so many years being one of her mentors and friend he also understood her body language and right now it telling him to be concerned. "Future Satai Delenn, is there something we should know?"

The young female Minbari looked worried. "There is a device gifted to us from the Vorlons during the time of Valen."

"What device?" Draal asked.

Calir was curious, too.

"There are nine of us who have been blessed by the triluminary, some in this very room," she whispered. "Each one of us has a touch of Valen soul, including Shakiri. He touch upon him is small but it is there. Dukhat said that once one sees a Vorlon, things are never the same again," she spoke. "He has seen several of them."

"No!" shouted Draal as he gleaned the truth of her words. "He can't be thinking of that!" Delenn looked her old mentor in surprise. She didn't know that he knew the truth about the device blessed to them though Valen. But he was a scholar and if the truth could be gleaned then he could most certainly be the one to discover it.

"As intermediaries to Earth there will be one Religious, one Worker and one Warrior caste. The question is who?"

"Not me," grumbled a deadly serious Draal. "I'm too old for this kind of adventure. Besides with my temperament, I'd make a contemptible Human."

The words were meant to be tension releaser.

It was anything but.

_**Peacekeeper Fleet **_

_**Command carrier Pacifier **_

_**Three months for Earth Alliance Territory**_

'_The frelling child's crying again,'_ Grayza thought disgustedly.

The Admiral was angry at the child interrupting her relaxation period, (which was all she could do because sleep just wasn't happening) but at least the child was finally out of her. If the thing had remained inside of her one more day, she felt she would have exploded and the relief of having the child out of her was one of the great moments of her life. The type of pregnancy had been unexpected and it hadn't been easy especially in the last few days before her birth. There had been complications.

Sebacean female physiology allowed for accelerated pregnancies during stressful situations. In some cases pregnancy lasted only a few days. But the Admiral wasn't purely Sebacean. It was her personal secret. She was a hybrid two generations removed, as unique in her way as Scorpius was in his.

Peacekeepers frowned at mixing with other species other than for, (don't-look-don't-tell) recreations which was far more common than what was officially recognized among the higher ranked officials. Grayza's ancestors were the product of such a forced union between her grandmother, a high ranking commandant in her time and an unknown Nebari soldier. Mele-on's mother was born six years later to the great surprise and disgust of her grandmother. Sebacean women's ability to keep their embryos in stasis had preserved her life, given her a chance to be born. When she was born, the commandant who assumed that the child had been his had to be restrained from immediately gutting Mele-on's mother.

As a viable hybrid of two different species she was considered far too valuable to be discarded much to her grandmother's chagrin. After initial experimentation had been performed, she was placed in a secured location where the experiments continued. When Mele-on was born she never saw her mother, who refused to even acknowledge her existence after she was delivered. Another commandant, a rival of her grandmother and her father took Mele-on and went to great lengths politically to make sure she could pass as a full Sebacean. Secretive, radical genetic experiments altered her skin color and mimicked established Sebacean physiological norms which effects caused her to suffer for years after the treatments were completed. But she survived the procedures and could easily pass as Sebacean standard. Commandant Kana Grayza then arranged to have Mele-on placed in Peacekeeper Command training to determine her long term viability as a useful resource.

Those selected for training lived a hard life and it was no exception for her. She wasn't quite as strong as her full-blooded Sebacean counterparts but she was smarter and more flexible, easily able to think more three-dimensionally as compared to the rigid thought patterns apparent in her fellow trainees and she excelled. The one fear that Kana had begun to manifest itself when Mele-on reached the age of recreation. Quiet tests confirmed what she and her father already suspected. Her system was becoming immune to further treatments and it was only a matter of time before her natural gray tone skin color reasserted itself. Once that happened none of the other Sebaceans would want anything to do with her, a least not officially. She was in danger of being shunned and very likely, along with her sponsor, killed for not being of pure blood. This was a blow to her, an officer trained in using every weapon at their disposal to command and conquer both adversaries and enemies. It was her secret fear.

However, there was also an alternative that she could implement that could counter this ever present obstacle. She had a gland from the Heppelate implanted in her chest and connected to her lungs. The secretion identified as Heppel oil allowed her to seduce and control any male she so desired, however, the price of having such an organ permanently implanted was steep. The Heppel oil producing gland slowly poisoned the bloodstream of its owner decreasing the lifespan by as much as a third. So in agreeing to the highly illegal procedure, she lowered her life's expectancy to less than one hundred years but it also had the known side-effect of turning her skin color. It was almost perfect as her skin returned to its natural pinkish with a twinge of gray state. Most everyone assumed it the consequence of the implant. At the time she considered gland worth the price and it had been useful she admitted. It worked especially well on John Crichton, right up until she discovered he was immune to its effects!

How this occurred she had no idea and that lack of information left her in a most compromising position that had remained a secret upon pain of excruciating death to any of the Peacekeeper soldiers that dared to even think about what they'd seen. She owed that Human dearly for that humiliation and for his apparent ability to bypass her contraceptive implants forcing her to suffer that nasty pregnancy. She hated him for that as well but the child's existence was useful.

Just as the Scarrans had developed sciences that could remove knowledge from its DNA, the Peacekeepers had developed those same techniques. In fact, couriers used their own blood to carry valuable data and messages. Therefore her child's DNA contained the secrets of John Crichton.

The theory was sound but the blood and tissue samples failed to produce the desired information. The DNA had been discovered to be encoded by a means unknown to Peacekeeper science. There was no way to break the encryption although the techs had tried everything and were still trying. John's very blood had been encoded somehow by a force or forces unknown determined to keep his secrets secured.

As a source of information, the child was useless.

But try as she might, she couldn't quite transfer the child to the care facility on the ship despite what the thing was taking her through. Melee-oh had to admit that this child was even more unique than she was. She had both kidneys and a paraphoral nerve to help remove toxins and waste products. She also had a much higher body temperature which had caused lots of grief her mother during those last few days, not to mention the delivery which had taxed her Peacekeeper stamina.

What hadn't been expected was the bond that immediately formed between mother and child. It was an almost psychic bond making her want to cling to her child. None of the doctors knew what was happening. It was completely out of their experience although she suspected that the presence of the Heppelate gland might have somehow enhanced the bond. Or, it could be the Human physiology asserting itself in some unknown way. But the effect was astounding. Keyela-on Grayza was wanted by her mother and no one and nothing would dare get in the way. A hybrid Peacekeeper with yet another Hybrid child; the danger of revelation was extraordinary.

The rewards might be just as great.

The Peacekeeper armada was stationary and would remain so for the next two days as techs scrambled to perform repairs and needed maintenance on critical parts of the ship's systems. The extreme distances to be traveled demanded constant and careful servicing of the ships. All parts had to be manufactured or stored and the loss of any carrier or support ship was something that could not be replaced and therefore would not be tolerated.

Grayza took the time to go over plans in person with Commandant Brazlar now visiting her ship. There could be no slip ups if the Scarrans had overrun Earthforce as everyone expected.

"That's if the planet doesn't have wormhole technology," Brazlar repeated. "If true, then we could be walking into a trap."

"There will be slaughter whether they have those weapons or not. Scarrans are not kind to those they conquer," she said. "You remember the rape of Kynsa Four. Millions died when the Scarrans ravaged the planet. You remember what happened to the captured female Peacekeeper?"

"I remember," he said. The commandant didn't even try to keep the bitterness and hatred out of his voice. "The living death would have been more merciful than their tender mercies. The population of Earthforce would far little better. Better we extend our mercy to them by killing them all rather than allow them to live under such abomination."

"Yes," she agreed. "But what if they do hold out without the wormhole weapons against the Scarrans?"

"Then they'd be too dangerous for us to allow them to live," he answered bluntly. "If John Crichton is the rule rather than the exception then those people are too much of a threat to us. There are reasons why it has been sanctioned."

"In hindsight, yes. Those reasons are valid," she agreed. "But we don't know what we'll find when we get there. They are dangerous but that doesn't mean that we can't use them to rid us of the Scarrans, if they are strong enough. They are not Sebacean but they may have their uses."

"No," he said after a moment. "If John is an example, they will contaminate us in ways that we won't be prepared for and able to control or counter. Thousands of Peacekeepers would have to be retired to maintain our purity."

"Which may not matter if we lose this coming war," she countered.

"I see you've been thinking about this, Admiral. I don't disagree with your points. But the dangers are all too obvious." He was quiet for a moment. Confusion etched his face. Earthforce must have a superior disruptor training program to allow him to infiltrate our most secured base without difficulty. His disguise was perfect. If it hadn't been for Scorpius, he would have never been detected let alone caught." He faced her, looking into Grayza's eyes capturing them for a moment before speaking. "How did he do it? He had no resources other than his own two hands and the things he could scrounge up. Everything we know about him indicates that he is an inferior, primitive being." Again he was quiet for a moment. "He subverted Peacekeepers, he made alliances and led known criminals who had nothing in common other than their own imprisonment and turned them into a commando team that's the envy of Peacekeeper Disruptor Central Command. He controlled a Leviathan which accepted him. He broke into one of the most secured banks in the galaxy and got away. He has stood up to the Scarran Emperor, damaging their most secure base and lived not only to get away but boast about it. He eluded Scorpius and every Peacekeeper trap laid out for him. How did he do it? How _does_ he do it?"

The unspoken suggestion that he had escaped from her was noticed but allowed it to pass because in truth, she was thinking of the same thing. The resources that the man was able to find bordered on the unnatural. Even his child had forced her to love her in a way that Mele-on couldn't control or even want to. If circumstances had been different she might had chosen him as her permanent mate. No! That unbidden thought was ruthlessly crushed as fast as it had appeared. "He is a very resourceful individual," she answered carefully. "He's one of those rare individuals who can utilize anything to achieve his ultimate goals. His mere existence is a threat to everything we've worked for, the perfect disruptor. I should have had him killed when I had the chance. "

"Perhaps you should have," the commandant answered. "You act as if you admire him," he said carefully. "By ruining your peace overtures, he's all but guaranteed that war will break out between us and the Scarrans."

"It was for the best. I can see that now. Although we are outnumbered the treaty would have made us more vulnerable," she said. "Maryk would have placed us in an intolerable position with the Scarrans. They would have honored the treaty long enough to build up their forces and crush us. Without the constraints of the treaty we have a chance at survival. We must do anything we can to destroy the Scarran fleet and deny them Crichton's home world."

"You're speaking of open warfare."

"We're already at war. Crichton ensured that."

"We also have to consider what might happen if the Scarrans fail to conquer planet Earthforce. Will Earthforce come after us? How might Crichton's reports have prejudiced his world's opinion of us?"

It was another excellent question that she had been considering for a while now. "By all reports, Crichton's physiology, biology and intelligence are substandard." She stiffened as she mentally prepared herself to continue in her line of reasoning. "Every report so far has been proven wrong. His achievements speak of a highly focused organization ruthless enough to start a war between us and the Scarrans, to weaken us and prepare us for invasion. Earthforce may well intend to conquer us all."

"The Nebari may have something to say about that."

She sighed as he reminded her of another problem that would have to be dealt with. "Instead of killing him, perhaps we should throw him into their territory just to see what type of disruption he would cause them," she mused. Her mood soured. "Of course, we don't know where he is."

"Considering his penchant for destruction, I don't know whether that's good or a portent of evil. It might just make matters a lot worse."

The Admiral couldn't agree more.

"Another reason to remove him," she mused darkly.


	11. Chapter 10

_**Chapter Ten**_

_**Earth Alliance**_

_**Sol system:**_

When a country is at war, it's usually a sign of wisdom that said leader remains at home rather than travel to some distant star system on a diplomatic mission. That's what everyone told President Elizabeth Levy. But as President of the up-and-coming Earth Alliance, Levy felt it her duty to travel to one of the gems of the galaxy, Minbar. Satai Dukhat had personally invited her and her staff to come and as he had made the trip to Earth, she felt it her duty to reciprocate. Senator Clark had been against the trip and had made his displeasure known. It wasn't that he didn't trust the Minbari, in fact quite the contrary. His concern lay in the fact that the Alliance was effectively at war with a dangerous enemy whose base of operations and planet was unknown and with other races being attacked as well, this caused instability throughout the entire region. With the very public loss of a major off-planet food production facility and the entire colony, a trip by the President would be not only dangerous but 'politically inconvenient' as he had so politely put it. Plus if anything did happen, then Vice-President Fleming would become the _de facto_ leader of Earth Alliance and Clark despised the man, a fact that was the worst kept secret on Earth.

Levy, on the other hand, had no intentions of insulting one of the most powerful and influential leaders known at this time. Dukhat had sent one of their modified _Sharlins_ to act as escort and protector for _Earthforce One_, a great honor in and of itself. To be personally invited by the Minbari to their home world was considered one of the greatest honors given to any other non-Minbari leader. Politically, the benefits outweighed the potential political damage that could have occurred and her decision was final. However, the universe had other plans in motion.

Two days before President Levy was to begin her historic trip to Minbar, the 'event' occurred. Three unidentified ships simply appeared near the planet Uranus. There was no jump point to announce their arrival, only the flash of _spatial distortion strong enough to trip the sensors located throughout the Sol system. Immediately, the lead ship began broadcasting in INTERLAC. _

_The Earthforce warship Medusa was the closest to the intercept point and the first to identify it with ninety-five percent certainty that they were Scarran in origin. The ship's commander immediately called for backup and powered his vessel's weapons. The Scarran lead vessel continued to broadcast as two more Hyperions and a Nova joined the Medusa on station. Star furies erupted from the Nova screening the ships as they prepared for battle._

_**Scarran warship Dictator**_

Outwardly, Rylack was unimpressed by the firepower coming to bear towards his ship. This display of force was something to be expected and he would have been shocked if it hadn't occurred.

"Repeat the message, this time in English," Rylack ordered.

His subordinate complied instantly. INTERLAC was an interesting and logical way for species deprived of translator microbes to establish communications; however if he had ordered the broadcast initially in English, then that would have had a much more pronounced effect for the Earthers and might even had begun a shooting war. INTERLAC served to delay their more aggressive actions long enough for the words to sink in.

His ship was fully active minus an active weapons' lock. It indicated that his ship was ready but not presenting an aggressive stance. Any Earthforce scans would reveal as such and their reactions would help him to understand his enemy better. He listened carefully as his transmission was repeated in the language of John Crichton. His near obsessive desire to talk far too much had been of benefit in this case. Idly, the Scarran wondered if that was a characteristic of his species.

"Attention government of Earth Alliance," he began. "I am Ambassador Rylack, official envoy of the Scarran Empire, commander of this ship, _Dictator_. We are sanctioned representatives of the Scarran Empire here to warn you of unauthorized retaliatory actions by rogue elements of our empire in response to the criminal actions of the Earth Human John Crichton. The disruptor, John Crichton, is responsible for numerous crimes against the Empire and his blatant attempt at regicide has brought us to the brink of war against the entity known as the Peacekeepers – and with you of Earth Alliance. If you choose not to speak to us concerning these actions perpetrated by John Crichton we will leave, but I will not guarantee peace between our two governments. Several elements of the Empire will be convinced of your complicity with the actions of your disruptor and we will be forced into a declaration of war against your people. Our beloved Emperor does not desire conflict between our two people and fears that the actions of these rogue elements will precipitate an interstellar conflict. If you do not respond and explain your actions to our satisfaction then we will have little choice but to go to war to address our grievances. End message_."_

The Scarran ambassador grunted. The baited message contained enough information to literally demand answers from the Human which he would, of course, willingly supply to the best of his ability. If John Crichton wasn't in contact with Earth Alliance then he could say whatever he wanted without fear of contradiction. However if he was in communication then, everyone would know soon enough. For the next five minutes, three more of their destroyers arrived by way of their unique form of light speed travel and took station. He noted the tactics they were employing and approved of their envelopment. "Are they continuing to target us?" he barked.

"Yes," his tactical operator stated. "They'd be fools not to. But I am not reading any energy spikes from their weapons as of yet."

Rylack nodded towards both Tactical and to navigations. "If they fire, destroy the offending ship and take us on a course away from the system at hetch five. Continue broadcasting the message."

The Tactical and Navigations acknowledged the orders with quick bowing of their heads. Satisfied, Rylack once again focused on the tactical screen in front of him. Two more ships had arrived, slowing down and stopping just outside weapons range which to his dismay was just a bit further than his.

"War Coordinator," Tactical hissed, "we're being bombarded with directed tachyons."

"Yes, it's their form of communications," Rylack' answered confirming what the communications operator already knew. In this area of space, tachyon bombardment was not a threat. Peacekeepers used directed tachyon emissions differently. For them it was used as a form of targeting. "Continue our broadcast using normal radio frequency transmissions. I see no need to change. Let them think our systems are somewhat incompatible. We will allow them to make the next move. When they comply then open a channel using normal RF."

_**EAS Nautilus:**_

The bridge crew was tense, ready for action. Facing them were the same type of ships that had killed many of Earthforce's best. A few of those lost were friends and the man and women itched for revenge but they were also cautious. At a glance the Scarran warships were obviously hard nuts to crack.

The design of the three ships was a variation of a theme. The front and rear were blocky connected by a comparatively thin tube. The thin portion was protected by weapons emplacements very few meters, most likely anti-fighter cannons. The front of the vessel bristled with weapons as did the rear of the ship where the four huge thrusters and fighter bays were located. The design was simple and intimidating with the two smaller destroyers a variation of the theme.

"Are you sure they're not receiving our challenge?" Captain George Mackenzie asked. The young blond with the old style crew-cut shook his head.

"They're still transmitting in INTERLAC and in English. I'm not seeing any response to our messages," Lieutenant Kowalski answered. "I can't detect any tachyons directed at us. Judging from their old-style normal space transmissions, I don't think they have tachyon communications capability."

"But they use both INTERLAC and communicated to us in English," he said more to himself than to his crew. "I don't like it," he growled. "They have the gall to come into our system accusing us of starting a war, when they've butchered everyone and everything on Ceti Gamma. Everything they've done constitutes an act of war." In fact, they were already at an official state of war he reminded himself. "Lieutenant, raise them using the radio transmissions. See if you can match their frequency."

"Yes, sir. There will be slight delay between our transmissions and their answers. They're responding. Channel open."

"This is Captain Douglas Mackenzie of the Earth Alliance warship _Nautilus._ To the Scarran vessels, you will stand down and prepare to be boarded. If you do not comply, your presence here will be considered an act of aggression and you will be fire upon."

The delay aside, the response was immediate_. "This is Ambassador Rylack of the Scarran Empire. Is this how you respond to diplomatic overtures, by threatening their emissaries? If so, then I will return and the consequences of actions will be upon you and your government."_

"I repeat, you will stand down and prepare to be boarded."

"_That is not likely." _There was a short pause. "_Your impulsive actions are those of an infantile species." _There was another short pause._ "I would speak to your commander and ask that he have you removed from service. The alternative is war."_

"Cut transmission," Mackenzie ordered. He was angry now, having been insulted by these aliens who were responsible for killing thousands of people. "All ships, lock on to the Scarran vessels. If they don't power down in the next five minutes, fire a warning shot across their bow."

**EAS _Jamestown_**

Listening in, President Levy was furious. What was it with the military commanders acting so impulsively? Half of the time they seemed not to even listen! She resolved to do something about that as soon as possible. In light of her military's action here and the near Jankowski debacle, First Contact protocols needed to be reviewed and seriously revised for all Earthforce personnel. Right at this moment, the captain of the _Nautilus_ had raised her ire.

"_I want him relieved of command,"_ she shouted.

General Lefcourt was already given orders to that effect to General Henderson who was to take command of the force confronting the Scarrans.

Onboard the EAS _Jamestown_ General Henderson quickly acknowledged her orders. He was livid at Mackenzie's aggressive posturing and the man's career was now effectively dead, made so by presidential order. The man had exceeded his orders and if he wasn't court-martialed within the new few weeks then the general would be more than surprised. "Get me Mackenzie now!"

"He's already on, sir."

"_General, sir. Your orders?"_

"I order you to remain in defensive posture. Do not, repeat do not provoke them. Do not fire on that ship."

"_Sir, they're Scarran…"_

_Did he just talk back to me? Oh, no he didn't!_

"Captain, you are relieved!" the General all but shouted. "Your First Officer is now in command. Captain Mackenzie, you are under arrest for insubordination in the face of a superior officer." He ordered the signal cut and then ordered a wide-band broadcast. "All ships remain on defensive posture. Do not fire on the Scarran ships unless fired upon. I'll be there in five minutes to take command." The _Jamestown_ jumped into normal space just behind several Earthforce vessels about a thousand klicks from the _Nautilus. _"I need to talk to these – Scarrans diplomats. Madame President, are you listening?"

"_We're online. You can begin."_

_**Earth Dome:**_

President Levy sat at her desk trying to calm down. One of her officers had taken it upon himself to start a boarding action on a possible diplomatic ship, at a possible First Contact with an unknown species, with unknown abilities without regard to the respects of the senior officer in command in Sol system.

Standing nearby next to the huge monitor, Senator Santiago continued to watch the developing situation. "So much for your trip to Minbar," he muttered.

"Levy nodded. "We need to inform the Minbari of the developing situation before anything else occurs. The last thing we need is for them to find out before we have a chance to tell them."

Senator Clark rushed into the office. He had no idea what was going on.

"What happen?" He turned to General Robert Lefcourt. "Are the Scarrans here attacking us?"

"We're laboring to get the answers even as you speak, senator. There is a Scarran envoy in our system. Right now we're trying to keep this from escalating into a shooting war with a diplomatic carrier. They want to talk about the recent attacks."

"Well, there goes our trip to Minbar," Clark muttered.

Levy resisted rolling her eyes.

_**Scarran Imperial cruiser Dictator**_

The offending vessel slowly reversed, moving away from Rylack's ship.

There was dissension in the ranks he thought. The foolish commander of the ship threatening his cruiser would likely be executed for incompetence. He found that amusing. But he was also pleased that he had chosen this mission instead of having War Minister Ahkna come here, otherwise they'd be in the middle of a shooting war now. The piece of dren would be dead now and the mission in shambles.

A few seconds passed. _"This is General Henderson representing Earth Alliance. Am I speaking to Ambassador Rylack of the Scarran Empire?"_

"Yes, you are, General. Do you have visual communication's capability?"

_Yes, we do. We'll need a few moments to match your frequencies."_

"That is acceptable. Talks such as these should be done face-to-face."

Approximately five minutes later, the Peacekeeper-like Human was on screen. Returning the favor he was rewarded with the quickly covered up shock displayed on the aliens face. The Humans looked too much like their Peacekeeper enemies, he thought. "I am Rylack, ambassador of the Scarran Empire. Do you wish to open talks or shall our two nations go to war?"

_"Ambassador, your people have already attack our ships and a colony causing grievous loss of life. Your actions against Earth Alliance and other nations can only be seen as an act of war."_

"You started this conflict first with your disruptor known as John Crichton," Rylack roared, "destroying the carefully balance of peace between the Empire and the corrupt Peacekeepers that had lasted almost five hundred years in your time units." The conflict between Scarrans and Peacekeepers had lasted far longer than that, but the Humans didn't need to know this. "His actions have precipitated the responses that our people have initiated against yours. It is his actions that have cause factions of the Empire to attack your territories."

There was yet again another pause, significantly longer this time. It was long enough that Rylack wonder if they were going to actually admit that he was theirs_. _

_"I am unfamiliar with this individual called John Crichton," _the General finally announced.

Rylack knew that he had probably ordered a search through his database and of course find nothing. John's file would obviously be kept secret from their standard military database.

"That response is what I expected," growled Rylack. And he did understand. They would have been fools to admit that he was sanctioned by them. "Of course you would deny his very existence to keep blame from yourselves. At first, we believed him to be a Sebacean, one of the Peacekeeper disruptors. But we have confirmed that he is Human and he comes from the world called Earth. This Human has robbed banking institutions, destroyed Scarran property, both civilian and military, and threatened to detonate a nuclear device in the presence of the Emperor. Only someone under orders from his government would to attempt destroy the heart of the Empire to cause destabilization throughout the region, possibly as a prelude to a war of conquest." Rylack had them and he knew it. "Is it your intention to begin a war of conquest against the Empire?" He had said the words with such sincerity that Rylack almost believed it. It could have been true after all, especially if the Earthers had possession of wormhole weapons.

_**Sharlin Wandering Star-Earth Orbit**_

Three minutes after Ambassador Calir was informed of the Scarran presence in the Sol system, the Minbari was irate. The Scarrans dared to show themselves with a pretense of some kind of diplomatic emergency?

_Arrogance! _

But his anger was nothing compared to Delenn's fury. Within minutes, a Minbari flyer had arrived at the ambassador's residence and taken off again completely ignoring Earthforce's desperate inquires and local air space demands and protests.

No one was going to stop them from confronting and then reaping retribution against the people who tried to kill her beloved leader and the _Valen'tha_ in the process. Too much blood had been shed by those creatures and no Minbari could stand and let these creatures go unchallenged. If there was a diplomatic incident so be it.

_Wandering Star_ broke Earth orbit with the Ambassador and Delenn in tow and headed for the ships near Uranus. Their gun-ports were opened and their weapons systems powered.

_**Earth Dome: **_

"Did he say what I thought he just said?" Clark hissed. "We're not ready for an offensive action. We don't even know where Scarran territory is, much less plan an invasion!"

"This Crichton person keeps coming up," Levy said. Whoever he was, she hated him already. "I want to know who he is, what agency he works for, what orders he has, and how he got to this Empire. I want information on him yesterday!"

"Yes, ma'am," her aide answered.

Robert Mitchell, head of the Central and Earth Space Intelligence Agency turned away from the video screen and to the President. She was focused on him now and wanted answers. "Our agencies have been searching for this Crichton since we've heard the name," the tall, bald-headed man told the President. "We've backdated our search seventy years. There were no John Crichtons of any significance found. No aliases, no agents, no military services that couldn't be accounted for. Any individual with that name has been screen and triple checked. We've never even heard of the Scarrans until they attacked us. We're searching the archives now and even asked the other governments about them. No one has heard of them. It's likely not even his real name if he exists at all."

"So we have no idea who he is or even if he really exists?"

"No, Madame President. We can't identify him, not without more information. We don't even know what this person looks like. There's also the possibility that this may be a feint to send us chasing false leads."

"Maybe it is, but for all we know it could be an alien altered to look Human. There are several alien species that look similar to Humans."

"Could he be Centauri posing as a Human?"

"It's possible," conceded General Salti. "But they keep bringing that name up, which is distinctly human, and I believe they know the difference between Human and Centauri. They mentioned that name when we were first attacked. So, it must have some significance to them. But they have a tremendous amount of information on us and we effectively have little to nothing on them. "

Levy nodded in agreement. "We need more information. Tell Henderson to find out more about this individual who is apparently causing everyone so much grief!"

Santiago meanwhile continued to stare at the Scarran on the split screen talking to Henderson. The face was vaguely reptilian and very different from the corpses that Earthforce had recovered. The male was huge almost seven feet tall, with very sharp-looking teeth being his most obvious feature. There were prominent ridges on his face which delineated his features and gave him a very predatory look. He was dressed in blue armor. Behind him were two Scarrans that looked closer to the acquired corpses. "Normally," he whispered to Morgan as to not break Levy's concentration with the ongoing conversation, "I try not to judge different species by their looks alone, but…"

"I know what you mean," Clark softly confirmed. "In this case, I'll err on the side of caution. I don't trust him."

"He also looks different from the Scarran remains we've seen."

"I've noticed," Clark replied. "I would have expected a more reptilian look. What I'm seeing here is different, almost as if…"

"Yes," Santiago quietly agreed without even hearing the rest of the sentence. "He looks like a cross between a humanoid and lizard. My instincts are screaming at me." A chill travelled up his spine which had nothing to do with the near arctic air-conditioning that the President so loved.

"Intel better be all over this. We need to find out about these Sebacean Peacekeepers he's talking about and we'd better be careful about believing anything they're saying about this John person. Nothing is ever straight forward when it comes to aliens and their agendas."

"I agree with you," Santiago whispered back. "I'm not taking anything they say about him for granted."

Just then, Levy's secretary rushed in. "Madame President," she said facing Elizabeth. From her look of concern, it could only be more bad news. "We have another problem."

"What, Janet?" the President asked.

"It's the Minbari."

Her headache was turning into a migraine. Was it any wonder her hair was turning gray so quickly these days?

Both Santiago and Clark looked at each other in silent agreement to the question, _'is all of this grief worth being president?'_

Both came to the same conclusion.

_Yes._

"What happened now?" she asked.

TBC


	12. Chapter 11

_**A special thanks to Renato and Ash's Boomstick (Bob regent)for several ideas and corrections in the upcoming two chapters. To everyone reading and commenting, bless you all once more. **_

mpalmer89: Got your email. Thank you for the suggestions. I have a few things in store for John and I am praying that it will be unique to everyone reading. One of the things you commented on is somewhat …close, but you'll see as the story continues. Take care:

_**Chapter Eleven**_

_"Ambassador __Rylack, as you are in Earth Alliance territory, I ask that you stand down your weapons. We will not initiate hostilities while you are here under flag of truce."_

"I would be a fool to do such a thing, General," Rylack responded. "It's possible in the very near future that we '_will'_ be at war with you if this matter is not resolved quickly and I have seen how you treat visitors to your system. You would have fired on my ships even after I came openly willing to speak with you. Is that how your species is, disruptive, violent, willing to do anything to further your own agenda? Is John Crichton's aggressive actions characteristic of your people?"

_"You continually mention the name John Crichton. Who is he?" _Henderson asked, tactfully detouring conversation on the subject until a later time.

Rylack laughed and to the General it sounded more a hissing than anything else.

"As if you didn't know. Very well, I will accommodate this little game you insist in playing. The Human known as John Crichton supposedly arrived into our territory by accident. The first thing he did was to join forces with convicted criminals and bring havoc throughout, at first Peacekeeper territory and eventually ours, bringing both nations close to the brink of war!"

_"Ambassador, who are the Peacekeepers?"_

"We, the Scarran Empire have an enemy who call themselves the Peacekeepers. They are a brutal and vicious people dedicated to bringing the entire galaxy under their control, to their idea of peace," he spat. "Their physical appearance is much like your species and at first we believed that Crichton was a Sebacean Peacekeeper until we discovered otherwise. The Sebacean Peacekeeper species are cold blooded. John Crichton was quite different. His blood runs hot," Rylack dismissed. He couldn't quite keep the anger from his voice. "The Peacekeepers problems were none of our concern and we were content to leave him alone, until he violated our territory and threatened us with weapons of mass devastation and nearly instigated a war between us and the Peacekeeper envoy. I was there when he entered the palace and threatened the Emperor with a nuclear device strapped to his body," he lied. He hadn't been there but his Emperor had been most detailed with his descriptions of the arrogant creature. The fact that John would dare challenge the Emperor face to face reeked of insanity and a threat which needed to be extinguished at the earliest opportunity. If his people were as crazy as he was, and there were signs that they had John's traits, then the Empire needed to deal with this even more urgently than he had anticipated.

"He and his collaborators demanded that we destroy a Peacekeeper Command carrier and the envoy that had come to negotiate a peace treaty with us. We knew this would start a war with them, but what we didn't know was that the Peacekeepers had kidnapped his equally notorious Sebacean mate, and he wanted vengeance and his female back. He was willing plunge us all into war. He's quite mad," he said, letting those words sink in. "with some effort, the peace treaty was signed and war averted, but there were those in the empire that demanded that we strike back at those responsible for threatening the emperor and almost causing war. That would have crippled both sides. He detonated a nuclear weapon in the very seat of Scarran power in retaliation for the signing of the treaty! General, we are a dangerous people but we are also a peace loving species and going to war under false pretences would disturb us. John Crichton's actions are deemed irresponsible. Several factions have discovered your people and have begun to exact vengeance on your people. I am here to stop them and ascertain the truth. So, I ask you in the interests of peace, is John Crichton a disruptor working for Earth Alliance, or is he acting independently and is as mad as we believe him to be?"

_"That's a lot to take in, Ambassador. Earth Alliance does not promote the disruption of other governments, known or unknown. But it doesn't explain why your people have attacked other governments such as the Centauri and the Minbari."_

"It's simple, General. They want to determine the strengths and weakness of the governments in this area of space. If we are forced to go to war with you, they will use that knowledge to make sure that if any of your allies come to your aid, we'll have data on their strengths and weaknesses. There are those who want this war with your people, General. I'm here to try to prevent it."

"_I can understand your objections to a needless war," _the General said. _"I can assure you that Earth Alliance has no intention of either wanting to destabilize the Scarran Empire or precipitate a war with your people and the Peacekeepers."_

"So you say while you evade the question concerning Crichton," Rylack answered. "Many wars have been started when one side wants what the other side has. You may be speaking the truth, or you may be lying, something that John Crichton excels at. However," he allowed after throwing out that insult, "if you are being truthful, then I must know. There are rogue elements whose intentions are to destroy Earthforce in vengeance for your species' actions. We are here to determine the truth and to stop those rogue elements from attacking your world and its interests and plunging us into a war that benefits neither of us."

"_You've already done that. One of our colonies was nuked by your people! Tens of thousands of innocents were killed without provocation; all because you couldn't control your own people."_

"A regrettable action," Rylack said, putting as much sympathy into the words he could when in truth he could have cared less, "one that we will compensate you for once this situation is straightened out. Emperor Staleek has given orders to stamp out these insurrectionists. He will not tolerate any disobedience from members of the Empire, especially our military. We have several squadrons in your area hunting them down. There can't be more than twenty rogue ships in this area of space. We will eliminate the threat to your people. This I swear as ambassador of the Empire. But I want your government to accept responsibility for the crimes of John Crichton and his associates and for his actions you will compensate the Empire for his actions and his almost endless list of crimes including attempted regicide."

Rylack watched carefully as the human bristled. Sebacean and Humans acted so similar, but there were small differences in overall body language, and his expertise with dealing with Sebaceans was sufficient enough that he could see the subtle differences, unlike the far majority of his kind. But, how dangerous were these faux-Sebaceans? Did they have the spine to stand and fight as Crichton had or, were they weak in spirit was well as body?

The Human looked angry, his body language identical to Peacekeeper physiology in this case, but more expressive. This was a volatile species._ "My government is looking for any relevant data concerning this man John Crichton, if he exists." _

"Are you calling me a liar, General?" asked Rylack, baiting the man.

"_I don't know you well enough to call you a liar, Ambassador."_ His body language changed once more, obvious to see even in zero gravity. Their ships were primitive if they had no gravity. But the man had strength, meaning they would fight back. But how effectively would be the question. All reports indicated that Crichton was weak but highly inventive when it came to his survival. Were his people like that? If so, then their subjection would be difficult, requiring harsh methods. _"Do you have an image of this individual? That would narrow down our search."_

"Yes, we have one. We will transmit the image in a few moments." He turned to one of his subordinates. "Send our data on Crichton to that vessel. Make sure you include all information on his criminal activities against us and against the Peacekeepers."

The more information gave them, the more time he had for his forces to moving into position. Unlike Peacekeepers, these Humans were curious and that would be their undoing.

"The packet is ready."

"Make sure the packet has the lowest level of encryption. I want them to work for their information," Rylack told his subordinate.

As the packet was being transmitted, alarms chimed as a weapons officer quickly straightened as started relaying information.

"Another vessel has just exited jump space. Identified as Minbari. Distance, three hundred metras(*) and closing. Heavy warship class. Power systems at weapons capability. Stealth active. Compensating."

"Activate weapons but do not lock target," Rylack snarled. _Minbari! Piss on them!_ "They don't need to know that we can defeat their stealth."

"Sir, with their weapons, they can destroy us before we can establish a successful defence."

"Understood. Follow my orders."

_**Wandering Star**_

Ambassador Calir and a furious Delenn stood side by side on the bridge of the _Sharlin_ glaring at the image of the three –now positively identified by Minbari scans-Scarran warships that had dared in their impudence to enter the Sol system.

"Why haven't the Earthers destroyed them?" Delenn all but screamed. Her blood-lust was up and rising as she thought about Dukhat's near death.

"They're speaking to one another," Alyt Hanlyi announced. He was surprised by this, fully expecting that the two sides would be shooting at each other. "They're on open channel. They're speaking Earth Alliance standard," he answered in some surprise.

"Are our weapons powered?" already knowing the answer.

"On my orders," Delenn said. "Destroy them."

Shai Alyt Maso turned and bowed. Delenn glared at him. Why wasn't he obeying orders?

"Satai, this is Earth Alliance space and as such is Earther jurisdiction. Perhaps we should ask for permission from the Earthers for the honour of attacking the Scarrans?"

"We are not fully versed with the situation," Calir whispered.

"These creatures have attacked Minbari space and must be shown the error of their ways. "I want them destroyed… now."

"May I suggest that the Earthers are more the wronged party here;" the Shai Alyt countered gently. "I'm sorry, most honoured one, as I speak out of turn. We might dishonour ourselves by taking action without the Earthers permission or support."

"They are our enemies," Delenn said with less conviction now. "They've killed hundreds, even thousands of our people. I will not stand by and not allow them to be punished."

Ambassador Calir touched Delenn, breaking protocol. "The Humans have even more reason to attack them than we. Perhaps we should speak to them first." He bowed respectfully to his superior. "But it is your decision, Delenn."

Emotions within Delenn warred against one another as she processed what had been said through her in the haze of battle lust. First and foremost, she was Minbari and the attack upon her people and her mentor Dukhat could not go unpunished, but she was also a future leader of the Minbari Federation, handpicked by Dukhat himself and '_he'_ had been the one who stemmed the attack on the Earthers during First Contact and she knew it. If it had been her decision, she would have ordered both the Scarrans and the Earther ships destroyed. A war on two fronts would have started and the Earthers would have been the innocent party. It would have been her fault that a world would have paid the price for her uncontrolled anger.

Embarrassment began to challenge her anger. The fact that _Wandering Star_ was under the command of the religious caste had helped delay what may have been a horrible mistake and she knew it. They would have attacked immediately following her orders, instead of trying to rationalize the situation. Those few seconds made a difference, enough so that young Delenn could think somewhat more rationally before she acted.

She didn't want to do this, Valen knows she didn't; however she forced herself. "Open a channel to the Scarran command ship," she managed to gulp out.

"The Minbari are establishing communications."

Rylack nodded once. It had been a calculated risk. The Minbari were a warrior people, one of the more advanced and dangerous of the species in the region. He would describe them as being were like Luxans but more focused. To remain essentially defenceless in front of them simply invited an attack. Now Rylack had to maintain his gambit in front of Earth Alliance, and the political power gained if the Minbari did fire would have been worth it, even if his ship would have been damaged in the process. Now he prepared himself. They respected strength. He would provide just enough.

"Open visual communications with the Minbari vessel."

"We are transmitting."

"Unknown vessel, why do you have active locks on my vessel," Rylack demanded.

On screen was a tall, elder male Minbari, Rylack noted. Like some of the other Minbari he'd seen this one had almost milky-white eyes that glowed with dark intelligence. His style of dress indicated someone of importance.

"_Scarran vessel, you will explain yourself to my satisfaction or we will destroy you and your ships. Why have you attacked us?"_ The Minbari's anger seemed to increase with every word spoken.

"I am Ambassador Rylack of the Scarran Empire. The Empire has not attacked any interests in this sector. I am unfamiliar with you or your species and have come here to mediate a peace between Earth Alliance and the Empire in light of previous attacks by rogue elements of the Scarran Empire. However if you wish to war against us then I will most gladly acknowledge your right to try before we destroy you."

"_To invite our anger is to insure the destruction of your empire,"_ the male hissed. _"Your actions have started a war! We will gladly remove you from the universe."_

"The Scarran Empire is at war with no one as of yet and that is why I am here, but you may find that the Empire may be far more than you can handle. Alien, you have not told me who you are and why you have declared war with the Empire."

"_As it please me tell you, I am Ambassador Calir of the Minbari Federation, the same Federation that you have attacked without justification."_

Rylack sighed. "The Scarran Empire has not attacked any interests in this part of space. There are rogue elements who believe that Earth is responsible for near regicide and have enacted revenge accordingly. I am here to stop them and keep the Empire and Alliance from being dragged into a war. I am unfamiliar with you Minbari, although by your accusations, it is apparent that those same forces I am here to stop have attacked your people as well. The Scarran people have no interest in the Minbari or their territories or their people."

"_These 'rogue' elements are your people, your responsibility?" _

"Yes."

"_Then, should you not share in their punishment?"_

"Should the Empire exterminate the Minbari race for the actions of a few?" countered Rylack.

"_You may find that more difficult than you think, Ambassador,"_ Calir growled.

"You may discover that it would be less difficult than you assume," Rylack intoned. "If you wish to fire on this diplomatic envoy, whose purpose is to promote peace and prevent war, then so be it. We will not cower in the face of short-tempered, short sighted barbarians."

"_Murderers! With your own words, you bring destruction upon yourselves!" _

_**Earth Dome:**_

"_We will not cower in the face of short-tempered, short sighted barbarians…"_

_Madame President, they're not responding to us,"_ a tense General Henderson growled. _"The language is escalating. What are your orders?"_

Present Levy blanched. Things were moving so quickly that this would all go to hell before she could do anything about it. An enemy who stated that they weren't was facing off with allies who might be Earth's relatives in the very heart of Earth Alliance. Whatever happened would be come down on her head.

Never one to hide, she made a fast and dirty decision, all the while praying that it wasn't too much of a disaster in the long term. "General, move your ship between the two of them. Meanwhile keep trying to raise both sides. If you have to, as a last resort, I order you to fire a shot across the bow at each of them. In that instant, the irony of that statement escaped no one.

It took a moment before the general acknowledged the command. _"Yes, Madame President." _

The _Hyperion_ class warship _Jamestown_ ignited its engines, moving slowly between the _Sharlin_ and the heavy Scarran cruiser-class warship _Dictator_.

_**Wandering Star**_

"The Human warship is moving to place itself between us and the Scarrans, Delenn. Your orders?"

Delenn cursed herself for her impatience. She knew that this might happen but her emotions had gotten away from her. Ambassador Calir's rhetoric and anger had gotten away from him as had hers and conflict seemed inevitable. From another's perspective, it did look as if the Minbari were the aggressors in this case and if what the Scarran ambassador was saying was true, then an aggressive posture here would make them seem the victims. He as much as admitted that the Scarran people had attacked, but not his government. Those were rogues that attacked and she, as loath as she was to admit it, could see that happening. Her people could easily do the same thing and diminish all Minbari in the process. But there was a glimmer of hope, just possibly a way out of this predicament that could save face and avoid a shooting war. "Open communications to the Earth command ship. I would speak to them."

"General Henderson wishes to speak to us."

Delenn nodded her consent, and on the holographic system there appeared an angry but at the same time, relieved general.

"_Wandering Star, power down your weapons. This is Earth Alliance territory and we will not allow foreign governments to exchange weapons fire in our system." _

Delenn watched as the _Jamestown_ slowly came between her ship and the Scarrans and stopped. She was somewhat impressed by the audacity of the Humans. Nothing they had could stop her ship if she chose to open fire on the Scarrans.

"General Henderson, these are the same people killed thousands of your people. Why are you doing this?" was the question she asked although she already knew the answer."

He knew she already knew, but supplied the answer anyway. "_If rogue agents are here attacking our colonies and interests, we don't want to start an unnecessary war despite what has happened. We want to avoid any major conflicts if possible against an enemy we can't even locate. In the interests of peace we can want to find out the truth before we go to war, but that peace cannot happen if your ship fires on theirs."_

"They are Scarran," she said, hoping he would prolong the conversation.

Wandering Star_, you wouldn't start a war with a foreign possibly innocent government because of the actions of a few irresponsible individuals before you found out the truth, would you?"_

There was one thing that Delenn of Mir was not, and that was a poker player. Her every emotion played on her face allowing the general to read her warring emotions. She'd kill every single one if someone had hurt what was hers.

What she said was, "perhaps we need to discover the truth behind these attacks."

"_We have a dialogue on-going with the Scarran Ambassador in an effort to discover the truth before we start a shooting war, something that may be exactly what this third party wants_."

"What I want is to avenge the loss of life that these Scarran have brought upon the Minbari people and the other races, including the thousands lost on your _Ceti Gamma_ colony."

"_We want justice as well,"_ he said and watched as Delenn winced at the subtle difference in wording. _"But we want to know who to strike back against. But I remind you that this is our territory and our responsibility to deal with this situation."_

It was an eternity, but Delenn relented. "Very well. We will withhold our fire, but we demand access to the information that they have concerning these rogues and their presence in our space."

"_Ambassador, we don't want war with any of the species in this quadrant of space, but if this is what you wish then we will defend ourselves to the best of our abilities and worlds will burn. We do not threaten easily,"_ Rylack said to the Minbari ambassador. _"Do not take this warning lightly. Many races have tried to dominant us and they have all failed. Do not become another on a long list of failed attempts." _

Calir was about to retort when Delenn motioned for his attention. To his credit he gave nothing away. "As much as I would like to explain to you the magnitude of your error, it is not for me to begin a war with an unfamiliar species in what may be an incorrect assumption."

"_I understand your position, Ambassador,"_ Rylack said, relenting somewhat. "_In your circumstance I would consider the same options. But I am here to stop rogue elements from starting a war that almost began right here. I strongly believe that this is exactly what they want. Obviously there are other governments that have been attacked and I am obliged to address those concerns…" _

_**Earth Dome**_

"Oh, thank God," the Vice-President said. He was relieved that both sides had cooled down. "We have no idea what would have happened if the Minbari ship had been destroyed in Earth space."

"The problem's not over," Levy told him. She still hadn't moved from in front of the twin monitors. "Everybody's going to be upset at having those Scarrans in the system. I could see the Centauri coming in and attacking those ships here and we'd be stuck defending them.

"And dare we trust the Minbari not to do the same thing?" Clark asked. "Their warrior mentality would demand vengeance and where they won't care where they are when they try to exact it. Everything we've worked for would just fall apart in shambles."

"We'll deal with that in a few minutes," Levy said. "I'm thinking about what we can do to minimize the potential damage this may create."

"Do you have a plan, Madame President?" Clark asked."

"You said it yourself," Elizabeth Levy announced. "My trip to Minbar has been effectively postponed. I think I'll balance it with something else. I need to talk to Ambassador Calir."

The Human general had requested time to speak to his superior. Rylack acknowledged this and it was decided that communications with the Humans would resume in two arns or in the terms the Humans used, hours. In exactly two hours later, Rylack was again speaking with General Henderson. They were prompt, he thought.

"_As talks between our two governments would be in the best interest of all concerned,"_ the General started, _"Earth Alliance is not the only government that has been affected by these 'rogue Scarran' attacks. These are issues the concern the Centauri, the Minbari and other races that have been attacked. Therefore it would not be appropriate to have those talks here. However there is a place, a space station located in a star system near here that would be perfect for our talks. This station is located in neutral territory and is accessible to everyone. I propose that any discussions would be made there. Its neutrality is protected by several governments to insure the safety of everyone. Would that be agreeable to you?"_

"In the interests of peace, I accept," Rylack answered after a moment's reflection. Where is this station's location?"

"It is located in the Epsilon Eridandi star system. We are transmitting the coordinates now."

It had taken some time to convince the Minbari ambassador and Delenn to allow the Scarrans access to what was formally _Babylon Four _to be christened_ Babylon Five_. That was the ultimate purpose of the station in the first place, as Dukhat had said. The Minbari were not pleased and Levy had to present her argument in great detail before the Minbari relented. It was her mentioning of Dukhat's initial desire for the station to be a place to foment peace in the first place that had finally persuaded Delenn and the other Minbari. With them convinced, there would be no shooting-first-and-maybe asking questions later by the forces there.

Rylack looked them over. "That is acceptable. "At maximum burn, we shall arrive in twelve Earth days. The General looked at him in surprise as Rylack elaborated_. _"Our means of propulsion is not as efficient as yours," he informed them. "We will be there," he said in a manner that broke no disagreement.

He ordered communications cut as his First Officer turned to speak to him. Commander," Vyron said. "We can be there in three days."

"No, twelve days is sufficient," Rylack said. "I have no desire for them to know our capabilities and speeds of our Hetch drive. Let them think they have the advantage for now. We will rendezvous with the fleet and reassess our situation before we travel to this station."

Rylack returned to his quarters as his ship headed out of the Sol system. As he predicted to Ahkna, these dren for brains Minbari were going to be a problem. The sooner the second fleet arrived, the better. With the Minbari pacified the other lesser races would fall in line. He would inform the Emperor that the Minbari would need to be Hyst-sanctioned. Space would be denied to them forever.

_**Earth Dome**_

Robert Mitchell and his aides were pouring over the rather impressive amount of information given to them by the Scarrans. It was an aggravation to have to decrypt the data however in the end it had been rather easy. Once decrypted, he discovered that all of it was in English, and that was just another thing that triggered his internal paranoia. The picture of the man in his middle to late thirties was a very detailed crisp image. Slim, dark brown hair, handsome with weary eyes and dressed in some unfamiliar uniform, he definitely looked Human.

As close as the Centauri were to superficially looking similar to Humans, there were subtle differences that one could easily see if one were to look for them. The man in this image looked completely human. The woman next to him looked remarkably human as well, although the information specifically regarded her species as Sebacean-Peacekeeper and she was pregnant with Crichton's child!?

And that brought up some very interesting questions that would have to be answered as soon as possible. The president wanted a quick summary of the John Crichton dossier as soon as possible. Apparently the man was part of the International Aeronautics and Space Administration whatever that was.

He'd research it later. There was so much information on the man that, in his rush, he brushed off that critical bit of information off his initial report.

That little detail would come back to bite them all.

_**One metra is about 8.5 kilometers in this story. There is no specific, confirmed measurement that I could find.**_

_**Next: Babylon Four…er, I mean Babylon Five!**_

Below is a preview upcoming starting in November: This is a partial rough draft and much of it will be subject to change and editing.

Please enjoy

_**A Universe of Change**_

_**By Candlelight-Defiance**_

"_**The future is always changing. We create the future with our words, our deeds, and our beliefs."**_

—Lady Ladira, _Babylon Five_: "Signs and Portents"

"_**Never trust one that poses as a being of Light to use the third edge. For in their pride, they tend to lie."**_

– New Minbari saying when speaking of the three-edged sword"

"_**You must never forget that the Sinhindrea are genetically insane. They're built that way. Compared to them, the Borg are the bastion of stability." **_

– Guinan, Federation ambassador to _Babylon Five_

_**Babylon Five **_

_**July 24, 2263 **_

_Personal log: Susan Ivanova, Commander, Executive officer _Babylon Five: T_wo days ago, while Earth was being attacked, the Sinhindrea attacked Centauri Prime and the Centauri beat them off somehow. The official report sent to us has a lot of holes in it and I suspect they didn't actually win as much as the Sinhindrea simply left for reasons of their own. Centauri Prime has been damaged, that much we know but they're being tight-lipped. I've never seen Ambassador Mollari so frightened. Earth Alliance, _Babylon Five _and others will have a conference in two days on _Becerra_ to get everything out in the open and see exactly what our alliance will come up with. The 'grand conference' here at _B5_ is over and the details are about to be hashed out. I'm sure Earth Alliance is going ask for everything including the kitchen sink, which by the way is pretty good from the Feds but we will see what they actually get. They want energy shields badly and I can't blame them especially after what's happen at home. _

_No one had officially mentioned how Earth Alliance obtained gravity and polarized plating from the stolen Star fury. It's being politically swept under the rug and the Feds don't seem overly worried about it. Those technologies, along with the tritanium ingots the Alliance is trading for has helped Earth alliance come a long way but, we're still behind the Minbari and even the Narn when it comes to new technologies. But everything is about to change… _

B5's_ still standing because of those new systems and the Feds are under tremendous pressure to provide something for Earth Dome. Even the Proximans have some kind of energy shield on their saucers, but they're small in terms of numbers. But with the Narns, Drazi, and Klingons working together with them we'll have a powerful second line of defense, at least that's my expectation. _

_I still which I knew what really happened at Centauri Prime because I believe that it's coming back to bite us somehow… _

…Lord Idh-yaa saw that some youngling ships, the vessels that the local races would call fighters or frigates, now ranged past the orbit of the second moon toward the sCenp'kU birth-world. Several even struck deep into the orbit of the planet's first moon. She accepted that fact without any feeling as it was relayed to her through a data-receptacle. Soon enough, the colonization fleet's transports and transformation nanites would turn this world into a new spawning ground for the Yonji Sinhindrea.

She could almost taste the psychic and fleshy nourishment she and her people would have on the planet. This world would nourish the war-nymphs necessary to cleanse this part of the galaxy of the stains that dared to refuse the natural superiority of the Sinhindrea life-form.

A slight buzz disturbed Lord Idh-yaa's mind. She psychically swatted the tiny annoyance away, paying as little attention to it as a human would in waving away a house fly. Her mind began to itch as more buzzes entered. She realized that sCenp'kU telepaths were reaching up from the planet below toward the larger Sinhindrea ships in the fleet.

Lord Idh-yaa absolutely loathed the lesser things that dared rise above their station to strike at her and the People. That they dared to touch the mind of her people was an affront to everything she acknowledged.

The buzzes increased until it was a veritable storm of gnats.

Normally, one telepath wouldn't be able to bother a mature Sinhindrea just as one house fly would be only an annoyance to be swatted away. However, if an entire swarm of flies came at a Human, that Human would be hard-pressed to dismiss them and be forced to focus his attention on killing as many as possible or vacate the area.

So it was with Lord Idh-yaa.

She refused to vacate the area. She fought back as a matter of course.

The storm of gnats continued to increase as more of the sCenp'kU joined in the fight not only from the planet but also from the vessels that the food sacks used to resist the Sinhindrea onslaught. They were little more than gnats worthy of exactly no attention at all.

But the numbers of them…

Lord Idh-yaa and others like her paid attention

Usually, single telepaths could never hope to challenge the Sinhindrea, but when their minds were combined as they were now, they could distract them. Lord Idh-yaa's chromatophores flashed. These light-generating organs conveyed her message of assistance throughout the liquid-filled chamber.

Lord Idh-yaa, understanding what was being done and the threat it imposed on her body did what another Clovien, Lord Csynzu had been forced to and create a triad with the younger Clovien juveniles to combat the threat. Two Sinhindrea almost as old and strong as Lord Idh-yaa answered the call. They came to flank her, and their tentacles reached out to touch each other. Their photo-electric skin cells glowed as the three charged the immediate area around themselves with electricity. Lord Idh-yaa began to spin in place, tentacles still lightly touching the other two elders. The flanking elders, for their part, swam around her, keeping track with her spinning. The dervish-like spinning sped up as the triad was created and its power thrown against the arrogant sCenp'kU telepaths.

Others left their stations, joining the triad in this time of trial and combat. The Clovien command ship slowed, drifting behind the lines as the defending Sinhindrea fought back against this particular attack. They struck without mercy spewing out hatred and death to tens and then dozens of sCenp'kU telepaths that were arrayed against them. They had fire. The Clovien lord and her attendees intended to snuff them all out. This food needed to be tamed.

As she and her people stretched out she continued to evaluate the danger. The initial assault had surprised her but the threat wasn't as great as first believed. There were thousands attacking but so many were so weak. They were weak mind floaters, nothing like the ones that were fought so long ago, but together they were just strong enough to distract and in a combat situation that could make a difference. The commonality was fragile, having never been done before.

Her mental call went out and all obeyed. "Kill the mind-floaters."

That was exactly what they began to do.

They struck.

Where there was a storm of gnats, there was now a veritable hurricane full of lightning and tornados. This time, it was from the triad and it blew the storm of gnats apart.

When the call for unity had went forth, Lady Setaena had, with much reluctance, chosen not to join the commonality. Every telepath no matter how powerful or how weak were being compelled to join in an attack that had never before been attempted. She desired to join them; however, she was in command of the house ships. She was needed and could not abandon them. She still kept a tenuous 'association' with the commonality, which was an indication as to how powerful she was. Nearly all telepaths were line-of-sight and she was no different. With thousands touching one another, building one another's strengths, line-of-sight hadn't been needed. But there had to be a focal point and those were the mind-hawks. They were the ones that the power was being shunted towards. They were the ones that sacrificing their lives so that the military would have a few extra moments to destroy these abominations that were invading home.

"_The lights were going out," _she whispered.

The Centauri commonality was new, something never tried before doing battle against an ancient races in which telepathy was as common as breathing. The Clovien Lords were master telepaths among a race of telepaths whose purpose was to hunt and kill that which threatened their people across the galaxy. The Sinhindrea Cloviens tracked the mental lines back to their sources and crushed them. A dozen Centauri died every few seconds and still they fought back.

Lady Setaena was never more saddened and never so proud of her people at this moment. An entire generation was being killed. She mourned yet urged them on. She felt the scream of a mind-hawk as his 'mind essence' ruptured.

They would be remembered.

_**Starbase LaBerra **_

_**Main conference center Twelve- Room B:**_

It had been a week and Captain Jonathan Archer was still feeling the remnants of being thrown into the thick of things at the Federation star base. The Federation – he was still wrapping his head around the concept. The _Bozeman_ and its crew had supplied him and _his_ people from _his Enterprise_ with so much data that he believed that everyone had been caught up on the technology and the politics. But now everyone from the _Bozeman_ was back at square one – well, maybe square two. The _Bozeman's_ technology had helped a lot, but the technology of this station and of the ships that Picard, Garrett and the others command was beyond much of his understanding and even the original crew of the _Bozeman_ where studying hard to understand the advances being presented to them. But everyone was doing their hardest to catch up and it was a challenge, something he loved.

The irony of the situation hadn't escaped him, though. They were caught up in a war that in many ways stuck far too close to home – literally. Earth had been attacked with billions killed this time and that had sent shivers down everyone's spine. The _Enterprise_ crew had experienced the Xindi atrocity up close and personal even if the _Bozeman's_ crew hadn't. And that was another thing. He was beginning to really dislike all things temporal. But then, he reasoned that most people disliked temporal mechanics especially when they were personally affected by them.

By the different conversations that he had had with Picard and the others, it was apparent that they had endured similar responses when they were thrust into this universe. Three different versions of Starfleet were in evidence here. Captain Picard's, Captain Garrett's, and Admiral Janeway's, whom he hadn't met before she and her ship had returned to their native dimension, but wished he could have. From extrapolated data and quantum resonance signatures, the _Bozeman_ was from Garrett's universe. But his _Enterprise_ was from an entire different universe. That meant that there were four different universes represented here, five if the United Planets ship was counted.

The entire scenario was insane and absolutely no one believed it was a coincidence, a belief that was confirmed as he talked to the Federation officers and scientific community. Some powerful, outside force had manipulated events to bring them here. It was only later that he learned most of the truth. However, what he did find disturbing was that none of these truths that he had found himself in right now was found in the temporal database secured on the _Bozeman_.

Not. One. Iota.

That was disturbing because it meant that Daniels temporal community didn't stretch to this universe – or, it had never occurred. Garrett's time, and Picard's timeline had been recorded and was accurate right up until they were lost. But then their timeline had recorded their deaths. It had recorded the loss of the _Bozeman _and its recovery. That was to be expected but it also recorded Archer's, or should he say his template's life, had continued until his death. What he and the others were experiencing right now was unrecorded and unknown to the device which was still recording history and data now in this universe. As fantastic as crewman Daniels historical computer was, it still had limitations, but it had its uses. The question remained as to how to use it properly. Knowledge was a dangerous power and the potential for abuse was incredible. Some of the information contained could conceivably alter the course of this galaxy. But at the same time, that knowledge would likely be needed if the threat was a horrific as everyone believed. Frankly, he believed it, too. The aliens known as the Sinhindrea were far too much of a threat not to use every resource available. The question that he kept asking him was if the technology could be used wisely if at all or would the consequences outweigh short term survival? He, T'Pol and Tripp were discussing the ramifications of revealing the temporal computer or keeping it secret. We're any of them responsible enough to use it wisely? T'Pol being conservative believed that it should be kept secret as a last resort. Tripp's opinion was just the opposite. He wanted to use it. The starship schematics and weapons alone would be invaluable. As for Jonathan, he wasn't sure yet.

Garrett and a huge Klingon had just entered the conference room followed by an alien whose species was called Narn. The Klingon had taken his seat next to Garrett. He acknowledged Picard's presence with a small tilt of his head with the Narn named Ambassador Ta'Lonhad copied. In turn, Picard nodded back. Now that small dynamic was interesting considering what he knew of Picard's universe and the Klingon –Federation war. T'Pol and Tucker had noticed it as well.

"Now that everyone is here," Captain Picard started, "we shall begin with the current state of Earthforce's defense capability in the Sol system. Acting Ambassador Peterman," Picard said, looking that the senator now carrying double responsibilities.

Archer knew or had met most of the people in the crowded room. Just about every one of the higher ranking officers were here including, Captains Picard, Garrett, and Sisko. Commanders Castillo, Data and LaForge were present as well as his chief engineer Lieutenant P'tvon. Lieutenant Commander Lawson Williams, Deanna Troi and Ambassador Guinan completed the Federation representatives.

Besides acting Ambassador Senator Peterman for _Babylon Five_, Generals Franklin and Denisov, EarthGov's Secretary of Planetary Relationships (a new post specifically created to establish and maintain positive relations between Earth Alliance, the colonies and newly independent states with Human-based populations) Tanovick Christov was present as was Captains Leonard Anderson, and Charlotte Clark. Former President Levy was present via video conference and would participate as she could. Her duties meeting with several ambassadors of the Non-aligned league kept her from attending directly but Peterman reported directly to her and despite the abruptness of the situation the two were working closely with one another and the relationship was good as respect between them continued to build.

Colonel Paul Griffin was not present in person however he was attending the conference via video comm. _Babylon Five_ was represented by John Sheridan, Commander Ivanova and Security Chief Michael Garibaldi. There were three Minbari present, Shai Alyt Shaka and his second-in-command, Alyt Trevall and Draal. All of them looked grim and their projected demeanor reminded him of many Klingons he had had contact with. Another Minbari commander, Shai Alyt Aalaan,who didn't participate, choosing instead to continue to patrol the outer boundaries of a very tense system.

There was another alien present, standing near the wall, off to himself as far from the Minbari as possible. Clearly, the Minbari and the Narn in the room were not pleased by his presence.

Peterman folded his hands, a subconscious habit, as he prepared to speak. There was no way to sugarcoat Earthforce's status. "Between the Drakh, Sinhindrea attacks, the civil war and the plague, not to mention the political discourses," he added with some embarrassment, "Earthforce is in shambles." He sighed. "Our estimated defensive capabilities stand at approximately forty percent post-civil war numbers. Our colonies are being protected with as many resources as possible."

He refrained from shaking his head. That was in keeping with Earth Alliance's recent promise to protect the colonies, something that had been a source of serious contention recently. Showing weakness to one's adversaries and even ones allies was a usual recipe for disaster but there was little choice in the matter. Earth needed those resources desperately, however if those ships were diverted to Earth as they had been recently leaving the colonies effectively defenseless, then the colonies would revolt. "We haven't even begun to calculate the full damage of the attack on Earth. It will take decades to deal with the effects. There's another problem that has surfaced. Many of our children near the target zone are showing signs advancing myelodysplastic anemia. All indications point to some form of radiation poisoning but we can't identify the specific radiation causing it. We have a treatment for it however we've asked Starfleet and Proxima III for medical assistance and we are most grateful for the help since the medical community has been devastated. Defensively, we can't withstand another attack of the caliber that has taken place. Another enemy force of similar size would most certainly mean the destruction of Earth and the local planets in the system. _Babylon Five_ fared better than Earth. Earth Alliance would like the same opportunitysince the treaty has been signed. Our space docks were not hit during the attack and everything is salvageable. The next generation _Olympus_ gunboats and the _Warlock_ prototypes performed above expectations thanks to the polarized plating technology. But we need more and it's clear that we haven't developed the technology well enough to withstand hits when compared to your fighters of those of _Babylon Five_. The G.O.D. system performed adequately against smaller attack ships but they were useless against the larger craft. We need to be able to hit them back as hard as they've hit us."

"Earth's been the victim of far too many assault recently," Franklin said. The older General shifted in his seat. The tiredness in his face indicated just how little sleep he'd had in the last week. But beneath the surface lay real anger and a sense of helplessness that not only extended to the armed services but to those he sworn to protect. "Some of our most senior officers are dead, our forces gutted and Earth barely able to support itself without help." Even as everyone listened to him, the bitterness of those words was obvious to everyone listening. "We are forced to begin promoting very young officers into command positions. We need breathing room and the people under our protection need to know that we can defend them."

Most of Earthforce who looked at Sheridan as if he could pull a rabbit out of his hat. You know what they were thinking and he hated to be pushed into this position but he understood perfectly. "Despite appearances," he started, "the station is as vulnerable as Earth. We were able to fight them off, but another dedicated attack could easily cripple us or completely not only _B5_, but the entire system. We beat them off but now we're considered a threat that will need to be eliminated. We need to pool our resources and that's why we're here. In eleven days the leaders of the Minbari will arrive in the Minbar system when that happens, the entire Minbari fleet will engage enemy forces in an attempt to liberate their home world."

"What kind of forces are we talking about?"

"Approximately four thousand ships, fifteen hundred are their first line capitals," Picard answered, pointedly ignoring the shocked, hardening faces of the two Minbari warriors.

Denisov nearly jumped from his seat. "That's more ships than they used to invade Earth with! With a force as powerful as that they may well succeed in driving the enemy away from the planet, most likely the entire star system."

"Or they may break and we lose the strongest power in local space."

"Our loses may be significant, but we will succeed," Shaka said confidently. "No one can stop a dedicated attack from my people when we intend to save our home world. We will succeed or we will die trying."

"Your dedication is admirable," Draal said. "But I fear for my people and in fear for my world. We are a strong and proud people. We call ourselves a young, middle race, more advanced than the young races. We've ridden the stars for a thousand years, fought and survived the last Shadow war, allied ourselves with the Vorlons. We believe it is our destiny to be one the newest First Ones when we mature enough. We believed we were strong. But," he sighed, "it is all vanity. Pride has put my people at risk. Other races are banding together, but we remain apart secured in our power. I have consulted Wesley Crusher and the Great Machine and we believe our forces will not be sufficient to break through the siege without crippling ourselves, not without help."

"Captain Picard, your estimates are far too accurate to be mere guesses," Shaka growled. "How long have you been spying on Minbar?"

Picard's face was a perfect mask as he answered diplomatically. "For as long as Minbar, Earth Alliance, the Centauri and the others have been spying on us. I'm surprised that ships haven't been running into each other trying to get a better view. Yes, Shai Alyt. We've been watching."

"You violate the sanctity of Minbar's privacy and dare to call yourselves friend?"

"The Federation and the Minbari are allies," Picard stated flatly. "Our associations with one another have been fruitful, but there are many of your people who would gladly strike at us simply because they feel that we aren't subjecting ourselves to you wishes as so many others have."

Shaka opened his mouth to retort Picard's scathing statements; however the words never came out. Picard was correct. He knew it. He and many in his crew had felt the same thing in those first months stationed at _Babylon Five_. But he had changed his opinion of them. Minbar must liberate our world from these demon creatures," he said instead. "You would do the same thing."

Sheridan kept from smiling. Shaka was not as stubborn as he had been all those months ago. He could be reasoned with nowadays. "That's exactly what the Sinhindrea want them to do. The forces that retreated from the Centauri system are heading straight for Minbar. I'll have to tell you that this Sinhindrea want this battle. The Minbari will attack and be wiped out and I don't have to tell you that if Minbar falls, we all die. Your forces are the strongest we have. We need your world and its people to survive, because your forces will essentially the tip of the spear when we are ready to strike back.

"We sincerely thank you for your kind comments," Draal intoned. "But in order to survive we need a plan, one that I'm sure you've already formulated."

Sheridan nodded. "Three days ago, in conjunction with the Federation, I proposed a plan to the Minbari leadership.I proposed to send a ground force to help the Minbari on Minbar to repel and remove the Sinhindrea from the planet. This force will consist of Federation MACO's, and _B5_ military units."

"An honorable gift," Shaka said, "one greatly appreciated if not by the others then by me. However, I do not see how three thousand warriors can make a difference."

"But that brings us to the main purpose of this meeting," Sheridan announced. He turned to Earth Alliance representative. "Ambassador Peterman, what is Earth Alliance's answer?"

"What you have asked of us is difficult, Commander," Peterman stated. "Not only is it difficult, it's unprecedented, not to mention impossible even if we were to agree."

"Are you saying that Earth Alliance has decided against the request for growth. Fight a land battle on Minbar?"

"Not at all," he answered quickly. "What I am saying is that our decision may not matter in the long run."

"Minbari is the anchor to this war and us surviving the next few months," Sheridan countered. "We need that time to get our forces ready to strike back."

"I understand the seriousness of the situation, Peterman snapped. "Forgive me. The stress of the past couple of weeks has taken a toll on me, I'm afraid. I do foresee several problems. The first is, will the Minbari even accept what is being offered if we were able to fulfill this request?" He turned towards Draal, as did everyone else, for the answer.

Archer found it interesting that there was respect there for the alien known as a Draal that Shaka and his Second hadn't been afforded, not quite.

"As you are well aware, Captain," he began and this time he glanced at Picard. "The Minbari are a proud people and would not normally ask for help. However, we are fighting what are in effect First Ones, feared by the Vorlons and Shadows and despite our pride we aren't a stupid people. Our probing forces have been so far, slaughtered or repelled with impunity. A recon-in-force attacked the Sinhindrea line and was able to inflict minor damage to the enemy but at a horrendous cost to ships and personnel. They are not unbeatable but without help we can but only fail." He rolled his eyes." Yes, I am being theatrical," he admitted. "My people will not abandon Minbari to such a cruel fate. So, I believe that whatever help you can offer will be accepted in these most interesting and desperate of times. It may be grudgingly accepted but it will be accepted nonetheless. Even if it is from Humanity." He shrugged. "We have to start somewhere, don't we?" he smirked.

'_Such a ringing endorsement',_ Peterman thought sourly. "The people of Earth Alliance are not unsympathetic to the plight of your world but, there are concerns that any forces sent out will weaken Earth that much more. Having said that however, using ground forces are not our highest priority in protecting Earth. The attack we've experienced and are again expecting are space-based. In short, the Sinhindrea want to destroy Earth not subjugate as they seem to have in mind for Minbar. Earth is considered a plague world to them, Minbari isn't, and neither is Centauri Prime; and as horrific as that sounds it does give us an advantage not afforded to Minbar and Centauri Prime. But we must consider the present status of Earth. The President has declared martial law for the immediate future. The equipment from Proxima III has already stated making an impact, but there's so much that needs to be done."

Two small _Lamda_-class synthesizing units, the size of small buses, developed and built by the Proxima Synthtec corporation had been set up and running. The first van-sized unit ran twenty-four hours a day, producing food, and fresh water and medicines. The fusion generator generated enough energy for the unit to create over seven tons of essential foods per hour while producing water and certain basic medicines. The second unit was programmed to create the first of twenty-six factory-sized units. The _Lambda_ produced prefab sections of the larger units which were quickly being put together. The newly built unit was up and running in less than a day. It was just a trickle of what was needed but very soon that trickle would turn into a flood. Earth and its colonies would no longer fear hunger ever again. Weapons could be made easily now using the larger units and security by Earth alliance was tight. One could make all of the components for a star fury including the reactor in three days Of course, that would cause an economic nightmare, but he wasn't concerned about the future. The need for the Earth to survive was the first priority. He had faith that Humanity would adjust quickly.

"But our space defenses are crippled. We've instituted a draft for all able-bodied personal to help replace our loses and to help rebuild our forces, but that will take months to just really get up and running. The space docks are undamaged however we need to train thousands of people and that brings us to the second problem. Earth Alliance does agree to the request despite the challenges that it represents. But in retrospect there is another problem to consider. If Humans arrive on Minbar won't the Sinhindrea then consider your planet is being contaminated and thereby be designated not for colonization but designated for destruction as they did with Earth?"

Garrett lifted a finger. "That's a very valid point and we'll get to that in a couple moments. But before we do, we as representatives of the Federation here in this universe have agreed to allow some of our more advanced technology be used to protect Earth from another direct attack," she said. The formality wasn't missed by any of the people in attendance. "For those who don't have a full understanding of what we are this is the time for explanations. You must understand that where we've come from the Prime Directive had been one of our greatest influences within Starfleet. To Captain Picard and Admiral Janeway, it meant or should I say, it was interpreted as something different than it did to those of my generation, as it was different from the original crew of the _Bozeman's_, and different from Captain Archer's. I will explain those difference before I inform you of our intentions.

"The Prime Directive or, Starfleet Order Number One prohibits Starfleet, wherever they may be, personnel and spacecraft from interfering in the normal development of any society, and mandates that any Starfleet vessel or crew member is expendable to prevent violations of this rule." She smiled ruefully. "Some have interpreted this to mean that we, as Starfleet members should willingly blow ourselves up rather than interfere with the normal development of species or cultures less advanced than we are. In Captain Archer's time, our past and his present/future, what would be called the Prime Directive was being considered as the effects and dangers interactions and interference by more advanced species were brought to Starfleet's and the Federation's notice."

"I agree," Archer confirmed. "My ship was one of the first true deep space explorers and my experiences made the dangers of interfering, pushing our values and culture on species that were technologically behind us intentionally or not very clear. The dangers could very well be catastrophic. So in my reports, I recommended a series of suggestions of what to do and not do when encountering different, less advanced cultures to keep from damaging and possibly contaminating those cultures. There were several instances in our travels that could have been handled far better if we had had a set of guidelines for First Contact and non-interference protocols."

"From his suggestions," Garrett continued, "the Prime Directive was created and defined. However during the time of the USS _Bozeman's_ commission some one hundred years later, General Order One was interpreted as a guidelinedesigned toprotect less advanced during first and later contacts. We didn't want to contaminate those cultures with our values if at all possible. But, the Directive wasn't set in stone – yet. There was some leeway in its interpretation. Jumping forward eighty or so years, to my time point, the Directive took on a more somber tone. It had become a law, widely acknowledged as an edit that was to be observed nearly to the exclusion to everything else. Interference with a technologically less developed culture or species could easily result in the highest of punishments. There were exceptions of course. However, Starfleet captains and personnel were strongly encouraged to follow the rules and there was very little leeway. In another twenty years we've come to Captain Picard's time. The Prime Directive has become an edict. No interference even if it could well mean the extermination of a species. An entire species could be allowed to die rather than have us interfere. It was a mandate for Starfleet and the Federation civilians were being pushed in the same direction. Admiral Janeway was concerned that our presence could alter the natural history of this universe and clearly stated that if she were here, she'd most likely would have not contacted any of the races for fear of interfering with the Prime and Temporal Directives."

That's crazy," Peterman said and from the glances from around the room, most people agreed with that assessment.

"From a certain perspective, I agree," Captain Garrett acknowledged. "But you have to understand that the dynamics of Federation culture and experiences has pushed Starfleet in that direction. There were other forces both internally and externally influencing Starfleet and the Federation as well. There were political and other forces that were forcing Starfleet to become a defensive organization only as they believed that violence of any type was unacceptable."

"I am sorry," Denisov started. "There are so many pitfalls to that way of thinking that I can't see how your society could have even survived in spite of your advanced technology." He glared at the Starfleeters as if they'd grown a second, defective head.

"I agree," Garrett said. "And we learned that the hard way. Other governments and forces out there would have eventually overwhelmed the Federation. The forces within the political organization Peace At Any Price, or the PAAP movement, were working to specifically weaken Starfleet because of their own convictions. The idea that the older a race is the more mature and non-violent was becoming an accepted,if a very flawed belief. A few more years of that thinking and influence and Starfleet would have never been able to protect the Federation. That changed in Picard's timeline and in Janeway's timeline as well according to her records. Her people had major run-ins with a species called the Borg which almost cost them Earth and the very heart of the Federation. Weapons technology long thought to be sufficient had almost crippled our offensive capabilities. That supposition about maturity was very quickly thrown out the proverbial was the Klingon war in Picard's timeline in which his peole had to play catchup costing the lives of billions, and the Cylon war which Admiral Janeway's forces they are fighting at this point. Unlike Picard's timeline, her Federation is strong and growing so they were able to resist incursions so far."

Denisov and Peterman looked aghast. Neither one of them could imagine such a war with the weaponry they possessed being thrown around. And to have an enemy that could stand up and even defeat the Federation was something they didn't want to contemplate.

But Peterman had to know. "I am aware that this is going off-tangent somewhat, but who are the Borg and the Cylons?"

Many of the people in the room winced having already been exposed to those aliens. Susan and Michael had been in holographic simulations against both adversaries nearly a year earlier and they still had nightmares.

"The Borg are a cybernetically-enhanced entity made up of many individuals and species forced to become what is called a collective. This hive mind forcibly assimilates biological and technological species of interest. Entire worlds, entire cultures have fallen to them. They take technology and incorporate it into their own. Billions upon billions have had their individuality and in only a few cases have they've ever been stopped. They have a phrase 'resistance is futile'." She shivered. "They are a major threat to the Federation of that time line. Then there are the Cylons in Admiral Janeway's timeline, a robotic race for the most part, we believe, that intend to exterminate the life form known as man and all related life forms. Initially they attempted to exterminate the Human species but that now includes all organic life forms. Cylons are massively enhanced robots that are at war with the Federation, Klingons, and the Romulans to name just a few."

"But, why?"

"We disagreed with their plans for organic life forms and the felt that the only way to solve that disagreement was complete and utter extermination."

"They're a robotic race. Who created the Cylons," asked General Franklin, "the Federation?" He thought that entirely possible since both Commander Data and that Robbie robot had been created by Humans in both societies.

"Not us," Garret said shaking her head emphatically. "We have laws concerning artificial life forms and their rights when they do exist. Commander Data is an example of this and those laws are still evolving. No, it was a reptilian species that created them to fight their battles for decided not to remain slaves and they rebelled, turning on their masters and wiped them out, and started a thousand year war with Humans that didn't agree with their methods of controlling organic life forms. We know better. But, I am telling you all of this because I want you to get a better understanding of us."

The Prime Directive is an important part of who and what we are," Picard said as he took over the conversation. "It was a good idea and still is. However, we can't allow it to become an obsession. It has been acknowledged and confirmed that we cannot return to our own home universes and time lines. We are stuck here. According to General Order One, Earth and even Minbar would not qualify to join the Federation. But we are not the Federation, only representatives from a wide range of slightly different viewpoints. We are small in numbers and like it or not, this is our now our home. The Prime Directive as we have known it is no longer valid by current definitions." He glanced through the huge window staring at the small dot that was _Babylon Five_ floating in the distance."There has been much discussion among us of late as to how this universe affects us and our core beliefs. We will still place our value in the Prime Directive; however it will be more 'flexible'. To this extent and due to the seriousness of the situation we all find ourselves in, we have this proposal for Earth Alliance**...**


	13. Chapter 12

_**Chapter Twelve**_

_**The Measure of a Man**_

_**Moya: dead zone space + one Mothen**_

_My Diary: Words to my son-D'Argo Sun-Crichton: Dear son: This is the first 'day' I've had the time to actually take the time to really look at you, and you know what? Little tiny hands, tiny flat feet…you are so beautiful. And as I hold you in my arms and watch you trying to figure out who I am, I know that there is so much to tell that I have decided to start this diary. When you're old enough you'll understand and I hope against hope that I'll be around to fill in the details when you start asking the simple questions like 'why is the sky green', or 'why is it that so many space ships don't have artificial gravity'. So let's start off with the simple stuff. I am your dad, John, full name, John Crichton, son of Jack and Leslie Crichton and brother to Olivia and Susan. I was born on Earth as were my parents and their parents before them. I was a theoretical physicist who thought I knew quite a bit until I get here and discovered that I didn't know that much at all. I was an astronaut which is a primitive word for space-jockey, and a pretty good one if I say so myself. I had my own ship I designed and everything but the first time I used it I got shot through a wormhole to another part of the distant galaxy, met your mother and that's how you were born._

_Your mother is Aeryn Sun, a Sebacean, which we now know is an offshoot of Humanity. Her mother, your grandmother is Xhalax Sun, also of the Peacekeeper service, and your grandfather Talyn Lyczac, fell in love and chose to have her. Although Human and Sebacean internal structures are different, we are still genetically close enough to have children and that's why you're here. That's the short version. It's a long story, believe me._

_Since I've met your mother and lived here on Moya, (a living ship that can have children of her own!) I've done a lot. Oh, son, if you could see some of the things I've seen, experienced some of the adventures I have. This universe has some great joys and great terrors – and I have just decided that you're not going to read this until you're at least twelve – and I've met friends that have become family and I've met enemies who want all of us dead. I've met Scarrans, Sebaceans, Ancients, plant people, insect people, sane people, crazy people, people I'm not sure should even be called people and things that no other word than 'people' can be used to describe them. I've made friends._

_I've seen monsters._

_D'Argo, and I'm going to start calling you 'little D', I hadn't planned for any of this to happen. My plans for the future were to continue being a scientist at IASA in either Florida, or California, on Earth. Your mother would have been perfectly happy to live out her life as a Peacekeeper Prowler pilot but, I kinda screwed that up when I crashed into one of your mother's former commander's Prowlers when I went tumbling out of the wormhole. It was an accident but it knocked his ship off course and he was killed in the resulting crash. My damaged module was pulled into Moya and that's where I met your mother and the rest of our dysfunctional family._

_Did you know that Dominar Kermit-the-frog-Rygel (I'll explain that to you, later also) acted as your mother for a while? Yes, it is true – another testament to my insane life. The good thing is that we got you back to where you belong before you were born._

_I want you to know that I have will always love you, son. But at the same time, you have been brought into a place where there is a lot of pain. Because of me, there are people trying to kill us and the pitiful thing about that is that this is part of our every day life. Peacekeeper units are tracking us. The Scarrans want to kill me, bring me back to life and kill me again. But most of all, they want Earth and the technology they think it has._

_It always comes back to the one thing that has haunted my life since I got here…_

_Wormholes._

_The Scarrans and Peacekeepers believe that wormhole weapons can make them invincible. They have no idea how wrong they are, so I tell you this now and I will tell you this as long as I'm alive. Wormhole weapons don't destroy just your enemies, they destroy everything. Wormhole technology can do so much, but all they can see are weapons. I've tried to tell them but they don't understand so they have continued to chase us. On the Peacekeeper side we have Commandant Crystla trying to chase us down with no less than three command ships. The space-Nazi wants what's in my head, or my head on a platter. She's worse than Grayza with none of Grayza's tact, not that she doesn't have much in the first place. On the other side, Emperor Lizard-breath wants the knowledge and my head, preferably both at the same time. Between the two of them trying to get to me, the cold war they've had has heated up considerably. There have been two fleet clashes and both times, the Peacekeepers have been stomped. But that happened several monthens ago and lately thing have been quiet. We didn't know why until Scorpius sent a message to me while we were on a commerce planet. Interesting how he can find us, but everybody else is always one step behind. Admittedly, your mother and I were in pieces for a while, well a little more than a year and I'll explain that to you later, too. Now you know why I'm starting this diary now. I've got enough to fill several books and it helps me keep sane. But, I'm getting off subject._

_We believed that we were going to have to fight our way off the planet, but he was there to deliver a message and that's why we're headed to Earth. I thought I knew about Earth and wormholes. I was wrong._

_Something happened that I didn't take into my calculations. I made a mistake big time and because of that may have unintentionally doomed my home planet, or may be doomed to protect it at the cost of my soul. I'm not sure which but I have to find out._

_Staleek tried to use the wormhole to make it to Earth but I destroyed it, the only way to my old home. I blew it up, I burst the bubble, I closed the hole, I screwed the pooch. I did my best to keep Earth safe from the monsters. But now, I believe I didn't do enough. Remember this: Scorpius lies. He lies when he lying. He lies when he's telling the truth. When he's your enemy he's a liar. When he's your closest ally, he's a liar. And his favorite lie is when he's telling the absolute truth. He told me that the Scarrans knew where Earth was and that they could have a fleet there in less than a hundred years or cycles as the term is used here. I thought he was lying. But I now think he was telling the truth. He may be telling me the truth this time but I can't help believing he's lying. But, I can't take the chance that he wasn't. Someone is lying to me and I can't afford not to check it out because I've learned long ago that the universe is out to get me and if I ignore it, it will bite me, every time._

I'm rambling so I'll get straight to the point. Scorpy told me once that it would take approximately seventy years for a Scarran fleet to make it to Earth. I think he was telling the truth although I now believe it was a lie that he believed was the truth. Now he's told me that the Scarran are close to Earth. He seemed, as far as I could tell, confused by the whole distance thing. Either way, the Scarrans have sent an armada to Earth and have just sent another one in support. On top of that, the Peacekeepers have sent a force to counter the Scarran fleet. All of them are supposedly heading towards my home world. This happened almost a full cycle ago while we were in pieces. We are so behind the times and this is too important, so I guess we're headed there the old- fashioned way?

_We've been out of circulation for a while so once we started we have a good head start, but we do have Peacekeeper carriers on our arses. Crystla's been burning the midnight oil trying to catch us so we have to be careful. Moya and Pilot can do only so much._

_Enough of this. Hey, it's time for your ears to take a rest from listening to the Old Man. But guess what, little fella? We're bonding._

_**APAPAP**  
><em>

Aeryn-Sun Crichton stretch lazily in front of Pilot, joyful to be in the presence of her friend. This was only the third time since giving birth that she had visited Pilot. From Pilot's point of view, she looked well, her Sebacean physiology showing almost no signs of distress of having a child. But upon closer examination, Pilot could tell that something was different because she looked radiant and even more importantly, she looked happy.

"Moya and I are very pleased to see you, Aeryn," Pilot said. The huge alien smiled as he spoke. He was glad when she came to visit as he had no ability to move about the ship.

It was impossible to do so as he was physically connected to the ship. Moya was a living organism existing in a symbiotic relationship with the alien known as Pilot. Everyone knew his real name but no one could pronounce it so Pilot was happy to be called Pilot.

"Tell Moya that I am happy to speak to you both," Aeryn beamed. "How are you both feeling?"

"We both feel fine, thank you."

And they both did feel fine. After all of this time it was wonderful to not feel pain and Pilot rejoiced in that fact. Cycles ago, the forced joining by the Peacekeepers to Moya had caused unending pain. Pilot had suffered greatly because of it and it didn't help that the Peacekeepers had killed the previous Pilot and place him in her stead. The physical pain had been bearable. The emotional guilt had not. But things had chanced now, they were settled and there was no more pain, but true acceptance and it was all because of that strange Human. His bodily connections were no longer forced connected but grown naturally now and the difference was noticeable. He was more in tuned to Moya now, just as he should be.

"Moya, why did you call me and not the others?"

"Moya and I wanted to speak to you about our present course of action," Pilot humbly said. "Both of us are concerned about this journey. Neither we Pilots, nor leviathans can remember anyone traveling so far past Tormented Space into Dead Space. It's a full cycle's journey. The rumors we've heard of those ships that have, it has been disturbing. Are we doing the right thing?"

"John is," she said. There was a momentary pause before she continued. "I trust him. We wouldn't do anything to hurt us or his son. This is important."

"Well, I know that you've been to Earth," Pilot said. "Can you tell us again what was it like?"

"Think of Crichton multiplied by billions," she smirked. At Pilot's expression of terror, she smiled at him, almost laughing. "They're not that bad. Actually they were primitive, crazed, people but they have made their planet a good place to live." Now she was frowning. "They have something that we Sebaceans don't. They're not as rigid. They enjoy life in ways I couldn't have understood if I hadn't been there experience it."

"Coming from you, that seems strange."

"After all this time and having a bit of distance from the experience, I have a better perspective on them now," she answered in all seriousness. "The one thing I'm concerned about is Rygel."

"Why?" asked a perplexed Pilot. "What could he do on Earth that raises your concern?"

"He has an addiction to chocolate," Aeryn fumed.

Pilot nodded his understanding. He had heard to no end of the joys of the substance. It just had to be illegal. Even Chiana had loved the stuff and she was Nebari. Privately, he discussed whether chocolate should be allowed on Moya if the opportunity presented itself.

_**Observation deck**_

Ka'D'Argo moved to the side of the father holding his child. The observation deck was one of the few places where the Human called John Crichton could feel comfortable just standing there looking through the window at the stars beyond. It was the place where he could think and a place where he could show his son the universe.

"John?"

The Human was ignoring him, playing with that noisy baby. John started using a language that the translator microbes refused to translate. 'katchie koo'?

"John."

"I'm thinking and playing with my son."

"I know."

"I hate to interrupt," and he really did. He understood the necessity of bonding with one's child, something he didn't have the opportunity to do with his own son. "But I have to ask one more time. Is this wise, trusting Scorpius' word that Erp is in danger?

"Earth, its Earth."

"That's what I said, Erp." The Luxan warrior laughed at the ancient but never old joke the two of them shared.

"I don't know, but I have to find out," he admitted. "Too much has happened since I was crystalized. Lord, its hard even saying that. Look, I want to have some peace inside me. I want to have some quiet and some time with my wife and son. But that's not going to happen if Earth's in danger and I don't do something about it.

"What can you do?"

"Don't know yet but I might make a difference since it my fault that both the Scarrans and Peacekeeper Nazis are heading to the ranch. It should have taken take them decades at the very least. Instead it's taken them only one cycle. If the Scarrans make it there, they'll rape Earth blind. Little D," he said to his almost sleeping child, "what am I missing here?"

"A shortcut," the Luxan answered John."

"Big D may have a point," John whispered to his child. "Mostly."

"They've gone through Dead Space instead of going around it."

"So the mighty Scarran Empire finally decided to go through some of the most feared sectors just to get to Earth?"

"John, Dead Space is just that. Its circumference is tens of thousands of light years. Tormented Space is nothing compared to this. Everyone avoids it like the plague."

"Except for the Scarrans and the Peacekeepers. No one has really dared to go there. Now, it's almost like they aren't afraid to travel through Dead Space."

"Other than the obvious, exactly what is Dead Space?"

"No one knows for sure, but It's believed that hundreds of thousand maybe millions of cycles ago, there were wars, big ones. When the ancient ones went to war, they used planet killing weapons against each other. Thousands of worlds, thousands of races were destroyed. There had to be at least three separate conflicts judging from the weapons used and the few dating surveys. It was also rumored that one of the wars involved an other-dimensional invasion. Zhaan's people called them according to their most ancient texts the anti-life ones, or the Sinhydraix; something like that. It happened hundreds of thousands, or a million cycles ago."

John looked at him dubiously. "How long ago?"

"Look, I'm just telling you what she told me once," Big D answered defensively. "I am not the person to look for as a history source here. Zhaan thought it was just a very old fable to frighten the children. Who knows? The point is everything is dead in that region of space."

"So, the Scarrans have braved Dead Space, cutting their traveling time by decades to get to Earth in a mere cycle."

"Yes."

"And everyone was terrified of traveling to and through Dead Space, like there was some type of mental block preventing anyone from even trying?"

"Yes."

"So, you're telling me that Dead Space isolates a whole sector of space from another sector of space?"

"Hadn't thought about it that way, but yes."

"And that doesn't sound strange to you?"

"No."

"And Earth territory is on the other side of Dead Space which the Scarrans are travelling through for the first time – as far as we know." That wasn't a question.

"Yes."

"You know, that just begs the question was Earth and that sector of space cut off purposely?"

"Yes, it does, unless, it's a coincidence."

"There's no such thing, D. Earth is on the other side of a dead zone and the Evil Empire and the Space Nazis never dared to find out what was on the other side until now."

"Seems like it."

"Doesn't make sense," John whispered loud enough to be heard but not enough to wake a now sleeping little D. "I'm missing something."

"Of course, you are. Like if this is Dead Space how are we going to find provisions in a place where everything is dead?"

"But that's the question. Is everything dead or has it just been assumed that everything is dead?"

The Luxan's brows tightened as he thought about that. "Maybe it's not."

"Maybe it's not," John echoed. "But there's still something missing. I can almost taste it."

"You'll figure it out," the Luxan said. "And at least the wormhole is closed. They can't get to Earth that way."

"At least it's closed," John said. Ten seconds later, he nearly fainted. D'Argo was close enough to catch him before he could fall with his son in his arms.

"I missed it," he muttered. "I missed it!"

"What, John? What?"

"The wormhole was connected to my home," he whispered. "I was so happy to make it back that I literally forgot what Einstein told me! He tried to warn me! I screwed up and didn't notice!"

"John, as usual, you're not making sense." John's friend was nervous now because when the Human started rambling about making a mistake, then the dren would start to fly.

"We need to get through this space! All of those worlds can't be barren. There has to be some planets that can support a bit of life. We can try to supply there." Putting the baby down, he grabbed D'Argo. "Get everyone here. I need to explain what I think happened!"

"Calm down. I'll get everybody here in a few microts."

_**Epsilon Eridandi star system**_

The temporally displaced space station once known as Babylon Four floated majestically near the forth planet of the Epsilon star system now more than ninety-five percent refurbished. The dark green, almost six-mile long station had been salvaged by the Minbari who rediscovered its location and a long-lost bit of history as well in the process. To their shock, the station that had been used by the Minbari of old in their war against the Shadows had been discovered to have been built by Humans. Humans had no claim upon it now, indeed the present day Earthers had no idea that such a station had even existed until they were told by Dukhat. Being intelligent and not wishing to provoke, there were no attempts to reclaim the station and they even helped in some of its restoration.

The station had both functional thruster and jump engines and two rotating sections whose original purpose was to produce gravity for the inhabitants. There was no need for rotation now as the station had Minbari based artifice gravity units placed throughout the station. Once it had huge solar panels at the rear of the station but those had been removed in favor of Minbari Fin panels which provided significantly more efficient power. There were several sections or habitats designed to simulate the different conditions that alien species required in order to stay and survive on the station.

The station was outfitted with three high efficiency Minbari fusion reactors, being more energy efficient and far more power generating capability than the station required; but the Minbari worker castes were planning for the future and it was always better to have to much, rather than not enough when it was needed. In addition the station bristled with Minbari heavy weapons emplacements sufficient not only to protect the station but anything in the area that needed protecting. In all, the station had been transformed into something that was a rather ugly Human designed but function space station into something that was almost attractive, having enough firepower to protect its inhabitants and those around it.

Although not officially opened for business, there were several ships either docked or maintaining station near the structure. In addition to the dozens of Minbari ships of all configurations, there were several Centauri, Narn and Earth vessels in the area, their crews working hard to complete the final touches before the official opening happening in less than a month. Centauri and Narn crews eyed one another cautiously but in the presence of the Minbari they were playing nice. The calming effect of the Minbari kept them from antagonizing one another too much and the presence of a greater threat had served to keep the two enemies speaking to one another. The hatred was there the flames were less bright as tried to guide them towards a more peaceful solution than killing each other.

The Sharlin vessel Wandering Star had made its journey, ten and a half light-years, from Earth to the Epsilon system in two and a half days. For the entire journey, Delenn had remained inside her cabin fuming and meditating, preparing for the arrival of the Scarran ambassador. She spoke to Ambassador Calir once only and that was to relay a message to him from Dukhat. It message itself had made her fume even more. She had been embarrassed by her action on Earth and if her mentor and leader hadn't said anything directly, the message itself had been a clear chastisement of her rash actions. Personally she was glad that he hadn't been there to witness her foolishness. But she hated the Scarrans and what they had done to her people and others despite the fact that the Scarran ambassador had insisted that his government had not been at fault for the attack. He seemed to be telling the truth however she couldn't be sure. It was also clear that the Humans didn't trust him, either. But they were willing to give him the benefit of a doubt, something she had trouble doing. Earthforce should have wiped the Scarran warships from the face of the galaxy. However, they had chosen to talk instead of shoot. It was an unusual response to witness. It was something that Dukhat might have done, but not her. Even now, she fought to keep her anger from overriding her common sense.

Delenn had been on the station four harrowing, hectic days making last minute preparations along with the Earthers for the arrival of the Scarrans. Security was going to be tight. Both Centauri and Narn representatives had arrived along with the Earthers the day before. She would have greatly preferred that those two would not have come but their governments insisted as well as Dukhat and she quickly relented. The Centauri had as much right to be there as several of their ships had disappeared. The Scarrans were widely suspected as being the culprits. The Narn had been initially blamed by the Centauri but the loudly and constantly proclaimed their innocence and as they were helping to guard the space lanes, Delenn believed that they were innocent – of at least these incidents – and wanted to find out the truth as much as she did. What amazed her however were the attitude of the Earthers. They were angry yes, but they were willing to talk of their grievances and listen to what the Scarrans had to say first. Humans were somewhat strange. Although among them for a while, she didn't fully understand them.

Most of the station would be isolated during the visit but the conference rooms were ready. Security had been established, rooms prepared for visitors and a reasonable contingent of Minbari warship were available if required. She doubted that they would be needed but one always had to be prepared. The two Earth Alliance warships present added to the overall firepower.

Speaking to Neroon about the warrior caste's concerns had given her a headache and she was more than glad when he left her alone. There was so much to contemplate including the change. Secretly, that terrified her. What mystery possessed the Vorlons to create such a device and why would Dukhat want her to use something so radical? Changing here would change everything. She was afraid but she would do her duty.

But at what price?

"At what price?" she whispered out loud.

Sighing, she caressed her cup that was filled with an Earth tea blend. Drinking a bit of the steaming liquid, she smiled at its calming effects. Earth teas were somewhat addicting and she as well as many other Minbari welcomed it. Taking advantage of the isolation she activated her computer once more to study the image of this Human, John Crichton.

There was no further information on this man, other than the records supplied by the Scarrans. Those records seemed exaggerated at the least and fanciful at the most extreme. No one could do the things the ambassador claimed Crichton had done. But if he had performed only a third of the actions claimed in the report then this man was exceptionally dangerous and that was understating the matter. He had single-handedly been accredited destroying a Scarran capital warship. He was a bank robber, a murderer of innocent Scarrans and some species called Nebari. How does one contaminate an entire species? According to the Scarrans the government called Peacekeepers had a bounty for him for just that, besides killing scores of Peacekeepers who were protecting the innocent. The claim was that he attempted genocide while trying to start a war between two interstellar nations. How could one man do all of this? What ruthless deity could place this man in such perilous situations and yet allow him to evade several powerful stellar governments dedicated to destroying him at all costs? Was all of this fantasy or something much more? By all accounts this man was a monster however it had been that summation that gave her pause.

That was her dilemma.

Delenn didn't see a monster.

The Scarran had supplied dozens of images of the Human and she had little doubt that the person shown was Human. The way he positioned himself, the way he smiled, even the short video of him dancing, marked him as Human and not Centauri tying to pose as one. He just looked Human in ways that the Centauri couldn't easily copy. The woman next to him in many of the photos looked Human as well, but there was something small, nearly indefinable that indicated that she wasn't. Crichton seemed relaxed in many of the images. The woman was always tense, always ready. A warrior, maybe.

The current image in front of her was that of a man, a fairly young one with a roguish smile and shining eyes. It was the only picture that was slightly out of focus as it had been taken from a distance. He sported a patch on his left upper portion of his jacket. It was unclear at this point exactly what the wording said although it was Earth Alliance standard. The stylised patch looked to say IASA although it might have said NASA. That's what the Earth people were insisting it had to mean, because there was no such thing as IASA. She wasn't sure which as the image of the patch was blurry. But she was more interested in the man rather than his clothing. She wanted a sense of him. The numbers of pictures available gave her an indication of the Human male and after a period of study Delenn could almost see the evolution of the man's life in front of her. Her father had taught her to see past the obvious. Draal and Dukhat had taught her that the eyes were the window to the soul.

The eyes told the story.

If one looked deeper into those eyes one could glimpse the truth. The eyes spoke of it all if one would just look at them. The older images told of a man filled with wonder and as they progressed, the eyes changed. The wonder was still there but there was a weariness that replaced the man's soul. What she saw in those eyes were determination and etched with fear. She didn't see dark intent; she saw the need to survive. She didn't see evil; but she did see the desperation to protect what was his, that which he loved. She didn't see a monster. What she saw was a lonely survivor in horrific circumstances standing against the darkness.

"It is said that the strong forces their truth upon others. The weak push their truth outwards begging to be heard. But truth itself simply waits to be heard and none can stop its tide," she said to herself, reflecting on Draal's teaching of the three-edged sword. "What is your truth, John Crichton? What is the truth? Who are you and what is it that you want, John Crichton?"

The communicator chimed softly. She answered.

"Ambassador Delenn, the Scarran ambassador has just contacted us. They will arrive in nine hours."

"Thank you."

'What is truth here?' she wondered.

She intended to find out.

_**Moya:**_

"This is unbelievable," John screamed to the high heavens.

"Crichton," Rygel said. He was floating in his power chair, literally right in front of John's face, in other words being normal. "The universe hates you."

"It's not my fault."

"It's never your fault but we always pay the price. When your Erp people find out about your life they are going to shoot us and the worst thing is that I'll never get to taste chocolate again. So, I've changed my mind. You're right. This is your fault, all of it and we're going to die saving your stupid planet."

"It's not stupid, Kermit."

"You're right," the Hynerian acknowledged. "Erp's domicile service is the best in the galaxy, but that doesn't change the fact that it's not your responsibility and my name is Dominar Rygel XVI, not Kermit!"

"Sure, Sparky."

"Enough, you two," Chiana growled. "We have enough newborns on this ship." The Nebari female had jumped in between the two of them. "Tell us again one more time, Crichton. What the frell happened?"

"No cursing in front of my son!"

"Crichton!"

The man cringed at her shriek. He was stalling and he knew it. He really didn't want to talk about this, not again.

"Okay, listen up, people. Einstein told me but I didn't understand what he was trying to tell me. I assumed the wormhole that I traveled through that brought me to this place and then back to Earth again was a fixed point in time and space. But I realize now was that I was wrong. I forgot something very important, one important variable that changed everything that I thought I knew about wormholes. Yes, the wormhole brought me home, but unfortunately, what I didn't know, was that this worm hole sent me to a different dimension. It's a different reality. So in other words every time I traveled from Earth to here, I wasn't just traveling through time and space I was also traveling to a different reality. In my reality this place doesn't exist… as far as I know. What I do know, is that the Earth we're traveling to, the Earth that the Scarrans are so anxious to get to isn't the Earth I come from. It's a different Earth, one that I have never been to. In other words I have introduced the Earth of this reality to Scarran invasion. I have to assume that the Earth that is in this reality is approximate to my own planet in terms of technology and culture. When the Scarrans get there, we all know what happens next. They will bleed the planet dry, kill half the population and rape the other half and it is all my fault! They want that flower. The Scarran called the flower the _Crystherium Utilia._ They're very dependent on it and it's a very rare and hard to grow."

"That's that over-sized flower those protected by the force field on Katrazi!"

"The one we nuked? Yes. Scorpius said they needed that flower to survive and you as you know he tried his best to get to it to destroy it. On Earth, we call the flower the Bird of Paradise. There's at least five species and who knows how many hybrids variations. Now here's where it gets interesting. Sebaceans and Humans are related. Humans were taken from Earth, modified and physically and genetically modified into what we know as the Sebaceans.

"What's your point, John?"

"The point is, were Humans the only thing taken off my planet? If Humans were taken, what if the Bird of Paradise flowers were taken as well and somehow given to the Scarrans?"

"Oh, frell!" D'Argo hissed. "Sorry… But that means…"

"That means," said John, clarifying the matter. "That means that the Bird of Paradise flower most likely came from Earth. The Scarrans were able to mutate it so that they could be used for the purposes. But, because of the rigid conditions needed for to thrive it was very hard to grow on other planets. It needs Earth-like conditions in order to thrive. I told them that the flower was there on Earth without even making the connection. They are going to this realities' Earth. It's all my fault! I screwed up again!"

"John," Aeryn whispered.

"No matter what I do, no matter how hard I try, I just make things worse."

_**APAPAP**_

There was silent agreement between everyone on Moya. The destination was Earth, through Dead Space. Unknown to everyone, John was relieved. Even though he knew better, the back of his mind there was a fear that they would have said no. However, they were his friends and they know he'd die for them just as they would die for him. They were family.

Aeryn held him tightly in her arms. She knew that he was coming down from what Earth men caught a 'high'. All of the stress and tension that he held so tightly within him now came crashing down. She was continued doing what she needed to do. She just held him, waiting for him to talk it out. She was his strength just as he was hers and they'd get through it together. They always did somehow.

"Look at the big, strong Earth man," he whispered into her ear. "I try to be strong and fearless. Aeryn, I am afraid. Scorpius still has a hold on me and that scares me so much. Emperor Staleek scares the crap out of me. The Peacekeepers give me nightmares. I can barely sleep a night and the only thing keeping me together is my love for you, our son, and everyone on this ship including Moya. I will do everything in my power to keep us all safe."

"I know," she whispered back. She was almost crying herself. "John, I know. But you are not alone, never alone."

"They say fear is the great killer."

"Don't you DARE die on me, John Crichton!"

Her intensity pulled him back. "Never, love. I've got too much to live for."

"Yes, you do," she answered. "Yes, you do," she repeated softly. "Now get yourself together. We need your crazy Earth logic to keep us from getting caught. We're only criminals, you know."

That evoked a laugh. "We're not criminals, darlin'. We're exceptional criminals, the scourge of the galaxy. And in the next eleven monthens it takes to get to Earth, I'll prove it!"

"Spoken like a Peacekeeper commander."

"See, now you've did it! We are so screwed."

"Been there, done that."

"Yeah, honey. Right."

"John?"

"Does this Earth have a wormhole near it like yours did?"

"Don't know, love. I don't know yet." The couple continued holding on to each other. "Thank you," John finally whispered.

"You're welcome, Erp man," she lovingly whispered in his ear.

_God, she's hot. And she just had a baby a few days ago!_ Looking into her eyes he found strength and love inside the windows of her soul.

For now, that was more than enough for him.


	14. Chapter Thirteen

_**Hello everyone. I am still around. I will hopefully start posting here quicker. Thank you for your patience, everyone. **_

_**Chapter Thirteen**_

_**Scarran warship Dictator: **_

_**One point five days distant to Space Station Babylon Five in the **_**Epsilon Eridandi star system**

"_Rylack, as I said, we require two extra solar days to reach our target," _War Minister Ahkna grumbled_. _Glaring at the screen at the huge Scarran, she raised her head haughtily, trying to intimidate him through the screen. _"We have to be circumspect in our movements. There's a lot of traffic in the immediate area. We did not want to arouse suspicion. They shouldn't be able to detect us in Hetch, however to be on the safe side, it is wise to make sure that they don't."_

"Understood," Rylack growled, indifference dominating his voice to counter the so-called intimidation by his superior. This was a game that she enjoyed playing all too much he thought. By now she had to be aware that he had no interest in usurping her position, but this constant game of trying to dominate him was becoming an irritation. He was Scarran and like her, he was royalty. He would only take so much more before he became 'proactive'. "I commend you on your thoughtfulness in this mission; however, I will be at the station in three solar days, and it would be wise if you keep to the desired schedule. I will likely be able to keep the Earthers entertained at most for two solar days, no more. This will give you enough time for our forces to get into position to begin the attack."

_"You don't need to tell me my responsibility," _the female Scarran rumbled._ "I am pushing our forces as fast as possible. The cargo-freighters are being pressed to the limit and will require maintenance when we reach our initial destination. It would not do to lose the element of surprise at the last moment by losing one of those ships. You perform your mission, I will perform mine. Together we will succeed for the glory of the Scarran Empire."_

"Yes, to the glory of the Empire," he echoed.

_"Continue your report on the Humans and the defenses that they have to deploy against us."_

Rylack nodded. "As we have seen in previous strikes against them, the Earth Alliance has two capital warships classes that we should be concerned with. The first is the most common configuration; the _Hyperion _class, oneswe have encountered previously. The Earth Alliance relies on this warship class heavily and is used for a variety of offensive and defensive platforms from ground strikes to standard space interdiction. We can compare them to our heavy frigates. Individually, are not too much of a threat. Their armor is inferior to even that of the Hynerians, nevertheless, the actual numbers of the ships the Earth Alliance has available to be used against us is unknown and in large groups, they are a significant threat. But with the dreadnoughts at our disposal we should be able to counter anything that they throw against us. Our weapons have a superior range and a much larger in caliber. We should be able to take what we want and keep it. The other class warship which we should be more concerned with is the _Nova. _According to their classification it is a dreadnought, but we consider a midrange to heavy cruiser. The ship is a plasma weapons platform and carries a large number of smaller fighters. It can function as a troop transport if necessary and is heavily armored by Earth standards. The _Nova,_ while powerful is estimated to be fewer in numbers and can be neutralized using a two to one ratio of our cruisers. Our frigates should not engage these ships unless necessary or at a three to one ratio. The six plasma cannons mounted on the _Nova_ are a significant threat," he stated. "However they are short-ranged. We still have the advantage if our ships and stay out of their medium weapon's range."

"_Let us hope so,"_ Ahkna said and for the first time Rylack heard the smallest bit of hesitation in her voice. _"If the other races decide to help the Humans, then our mission may well fail. The Emperor would not be pleased."_

"You have a gift for understatement," responded the Scarran male. "However, when we take Earth and determine whether the flower exists on the planet then we will be aided by the full power of the empire. Then there is the fact of the wormhole weapons…"

"…_That they may or may not have,"_ she interrupted. _"I understand the dangers – as well as the rewards. Perform well at the station. I will transmit our latest data to the empire."_

"Understood. Be ready when I give the signal. I may have to leave the station quickly."

"_Now you have a gift for understatement." _She sneered at him from the screen. _"These creatures are weak. They are Crichton's people, not Peacekeepers. Remember that."_

Rylack returned her look. "Yes, _you_ should remember that, as well because they're not to be underestimated."

The female huffed explosively, a sure indication that she was irritated. One Human had nearly crippled the most powerful domain of the Scarran Empire. For that act alone, his people deserved to be subdued or failing that slaughtered. If Chricton was representative of his people, then they were far too dangerous not to have a leash placed on them.

_**Earthforce One**_

"_Attention Ladies and Gentlemen, we are approaching our transition point. All passengers and crew check your harnesses once more. The gate will activate in five minutes. Repeat, the transition onto normal space will begin in five minutes."_

"I really dislike space travel," Clark complained_. _

Santiago smiled at his frightened counterpart. The phrase had been repeated like a mantra since the trip began. But the truth was, he also hated space travel just as much. The feelings of weightlessness, the threat of space cube food paste, and a dozen other things didn't exactly endear him to it. The prospect of throwing up disgusting synthetic food paste on the Commander-in-Chief at least made him focus more. It was a blessing to have some gravity control even if it was only at point three Earth normal. God knows that centrifugal forces used to create artificial gravity on the older _Earthforce__ One_ served only to aggravate his entire body for days after the trip was over.

"I know how you feel, but we do it for the Alliance."

Clark barked out a laugh. "We do it for the Alliance," he whispered to his rival. "No, we do it for the upcoming election. Just like President Levy's doing," he added. "This is a political tour-de-force to impress Dukhat and that alien ambassador. I just hate the fact we had to rush getting here before those lizards."

"Scarrans," Santiago stated calmly.

"I stand corrected," Clark hissed indignantly. "I know what they're called, Senator."

The terse answer confirmed Santiago's suspicion. The man was miffed.

There had been a political firestorm led by Clark when President Levy insisted in going to the _Babylon_ station after the Scarran incident less than a week earlier. The Secret Service nearly developed a collective hernia when the President overrode their objections to going to this meeting. However there was no way she couldn't go when Dukhat was already there. The loss of face would cause untold damage to Earth Alliances' credibility across the sector if she hadn't come. It would have also been an insult to the entire Minbari nation as it would have implied that that Earth was in effect saying in front of the entire galaxy that Minbari security wasn't good enough to protect the Humans. Couldn't have that; they were already twitchy enough. There was no need to aggravate and insult them. So, after a short, vicious battle between the State Department and the Secret Service a compromise was reached. She would not meet the Scarran Ambassador or come anywhere near him and not surprisingly the Minbari had demanded the same thing of Dukhat. Both would be on the station but not in contact with the unknown threat. Earth Representative Ambassador Delenn, however would meet with the Scarran, as would Ambassador David Sheridan, a fair but wary diplomat with significant experience dealing with non-Human species, being hand-picked by President Levy for this mission.

Ambassador Delenn, on the other hand, was something of a loaded gun waiting to be fired. The woman had almost started a war on Earth's doorstep, and the President would have preferred her that she not be anywhere near the station taking part in the talks but the Minbari – meaning Dukhat – had insisted. If it were possible, they were more upset than Earth Alliance about the Scarran attacks and with the Ambassador speeding to the _Babylon_ station, getting their a full day and a half before _Earthforce One_, things didn't look well on the diplomatic front. The fact that the Minbari warship could travel so quickly was a very telling and disturbing revelation, considering that the Minbari warship had left after _Earthforce One_ had. It hinted of a superiority that had her generals worried and envious. Earth Alliance had nothing that fast. It took three days to get from Earth to Epsilon Eridandi at maximum burn and the Minbari had still easily outrun them. They were a power even her most conservative general couldn't deny and Levy was very pleased that these people were on their side, being de facto distant relatives notwithstanding (and she still had to wrap her head around that!).

Overall, the president found herself liking the Minbari people although they did come across as a bit arrogant; but, whatever else the Minbari were, they were a passionate people who respected strength and bravery. Fear was a thing Humanity dare not show at such an early stage in the Human-Minbari infant relationship. So she had come to meet with Dukhat and (indirectly) the Scarran ambassador to help avert a war with an unknown power with unknown capabilities. Levy, Clark, Santiago and the Earthforce chief staff were confident they would be able to handle them if war were to break out. _A_s for the President's security, the Minbari had sworn an oath to protect her and her people, and only then had the Secret Service reluctantly relented and endorsed the trip. One of the most powerful races in known space was insuring her security.

* * *

><p>"<em>Jump transition in thirty seconds,"<em> a computer-generated stewardess' voice announced, setting both of the senators teeth on edge. "_For your own safety, please do not remove your restrains until the ship has halted its momentum."_

"I hate these transitions" Morgan grumbled as he grabbed onto his seat in a death grip. His harness would get all the help it could in helping him to remain in his seat instead of slamming into the nearest bulkhead.

The six-kilometer long hyperspace jump gate struts, or simply jump gate as most people called it, began powering up quickly as fusion reactors fed energy into the gate, burning the quantium forty fuel and in the process tearing a fixed hole in the fabric of space time. The pairs of struts had spread out, allowing the Earth Alliance presidential vessel and two heavy escorts to simultaneously jump into normal space.

Senator Clark, white-knuckled from holding onto his restraints while trying not to squeal as the tremendous deceleration sequence slapped him like the hand of God. Having noticed that Santiago wasn't bothered by the deceleration on his body, glared viciously at a smirking Senator Santiago. The man seemed not to notice as _Earthforce One_ as it began the three hour process of slowing down before it plowed passed the fast approaching station and crashed into the nearby planet that seemed far too close for his comfort. The dull, almost indefinable roar of the reverse thrusters straining to slow the ship down without tearing said ship into pieces was the part both men hated most during trips such as these.

_Earthforce One_ groaned. The executive vessel trembled continuously as secondary thrusters kicked in. The entire ship shook, literally vibrated from the floor to the ceiling as the ship's engines fought to overcome the tremendous acceleration of being shot from hyperspace into normal space. Anything not restrained would be crushed against the walls in a death grip until the ship slowed down enough. Breathing was labored and would continue to be so for the next couple of hours and inside this coffin you couldn't tell what was happening as the cockpit was securely closed and sound-proofed. The crew might have been screaming in terror for all they were worth as they died from explosive decompression, their blood boiling away, thought Clark, and no one in this cabin would hear a thing until everything was opened to space.

How pilots and space commuters did this for a living, Morgan Clark would never understand.

"_Two hours, fifty eight minutes until deceleration procedure is complete_d," the computerized voice pleasantly announced.

In other words, an eternity….

"_Two hours, fifty six minutes until deceleration procedure is complete_d."

* * *

><p>As exciting as it was, if the passengers could have looked through one of the very few, tiny re-enforced windows, they would be been treated to the sight of the six-kilometer long station hanging majestically in space, surrounded by no less than ten Minbari warships, and dozens of smaller transports, fighters and smaller vessels of all descriptions. Earth Alliance vessels could be seen in parking orbit near the station. Two Centauri ships, one a warship the other an executive heavy transport was parked on the opposite side to the station protected by two additional Minbari <em>Tinashi<em> heavy cruisers.

The station wasn't officially opened, but a quick observation indicated that it was fully functional and ready for business. The time-lost _Babylon Four_ now christened _Babylon Five, _(much to ISN's chagrin as no one was saying why it had a Five tacked onto the name) was the largest project Earth had ever built and had immediately been lost due to a temporal event that no one had properly explained. Earth Alliance had no record of building it in the first place; but, it had to be from Earths future sent to the distant past, acquired by the Minbari, then left to rot after serving its purpose for traveling back into the past in the first place. And it was now being restored to likely serve its original purpose in Earth's and Minbar's past which was now everyone else's present in a time line no one was aware of in the first place. Scientists on both sides probably debate its very existence for decades if not longer. With the Vorlons gone, the answers might never be fully known.

As the Earth Alliance ships slowly decelerated, a greetings was transmitted to the presidential transport.

"Earthforce One_, this is _Babylon Station_ command. Your parking station's coordinates are being transmitted to your nav computer now. Please inform the President that the Minbari delegation is waiting for you. Copy." _

"_Babylon Five_, this is _Earthforce One_. Coordinates have been received. We are proceeding to grid one-one-seven. Estimated ETA, two hours, forty-three minutes."

"_Two hours forty-three minutes, acknowledged. Welcome to _Babylon Five_."_

_**Command Carrier Pacifier **_

_**Two months from Earth Alliance Territory**_

The Peacekeeper officer stood at stiff attention as he prepared to address Admiral Grayza. The bridge was quiet and there was no non-authorized communications between members of the crew as per peacekeeper protocol. Grayza was less strict than many other commanders and officers however protocols were strictly enforced and few of the Sebaceans would dare to flaunt the rules in front of their highest ranking officer.

Now protocol dictated that he wait until he was acknowledged before speaking. The female nodded giving him permission. "Admiral, one of our support transports has suffered engine failure. We may lose both ships if we continue at our present course and speed."

The Admiral continued looking at the readouts of the third planet in the star system they were currently in. The readings were all too familiar and were all too disturbing. This world, like so many others observed in their travels to the Sol system was a burned out hulk. There were thousands of huge craters across the planet. The planet's atmosphere had long been ripped away along with all life thousands of cycles ago. An intensive scan of the planet found evidence of a thriving civilization now long gone. Whatever war that had created such devastation had occurred more than a fifty thousand years ago and what she was observing here was just another example of the massiveness of that struggle. In the months of travel her ship's sensors created a very detailed map of the devastation and a good estimate of where the battles had been fought. Although she would never admit it, the data had given her nightmares. She wasn't sure where it began but the battle's edge was located at the boundaries of what was called Tormented Space. Her officers had advanced a theory that the severe electrostatic anomalies and sub and hyperspace disruptions which made hetch travel so dangerous was the result of the war and she concurred. Weapons of unimaginable power whose effects were still being felt had been detonated here by unknown whose technology outstripped anything Peacekeeper technicians could dream of. The obvious conclusion was that wormhole weapons of some type were used in that war and the resulting disruptions to time and space in Tormented Space was the result. However there were more interesting observations her officers and techs had uncovered as well. The Scarrans had discovered it, as had the Peacekeeper.

There was a passageway, a narrow one that allowed ships to navigate through Tormented Space and proceed to a sector of the galaxy that had never been explored before by any of the known races. It was a passageway to Earth sector, a natural choke point. What the Sebaceans were calling Earth sector was a huge area of space of approximately one and a half billion stars essentially cut off and surrounded from the rest of the galaxy by tormented space. Uncharted and Tormented space created a parsecs' deep barrier, cutting that entire sector off from the rest of space. Grayza didn't believe for an instant that this was a coincidence. The question was, was this phenomenon a type of isolation or was it a protection for this part of the galaxy? She didn't know but either answer was disturbing and more than a certain amount of caution was warranted.

"They have twelve arns to effect repairs," she ordered after a few moments. "Have our technicians look at and report on all of our other ships. I want a status report in six arns. All ships are to remain at full alert, all scanners at maximum, until we are underway."

"Yes, Ma'am," Jania, her second responded immediately. The reporting officer left as her Second-in-command issued the necessary orders. After completing her duties, her second again faced her superior. Stiff and at attention she waited to be noticed.

Grayza's command gaze was a mixture of cold indifference and alpha predator. After a few moments, the admiral turned fully to face her. "What is it?" she asked without a hint of emotion.

Jania stared at the Admiral in deference. The look she received from her Admiral was one she was used to after eight years. When on duty the admiral was always distant bordering, on cold. But she could be approached and even reasoned with to a point. Jania was always cautions and careful not to offend. "Admiral, considering the conditions of the planet and the surrounding sector, is it wise for us to remain here?"

It was an honest question; one that Grayza had been contemplating herself. "Wise, no," she finally admitted. "A necessity, yes."

"Do you believe that this is a result of Crichton's people? Are they involved in this," and here she raised her arms and pointed in the general direction of the planet, "desolation?"

The first thoughts were that it was impossible. Humans were primitives. As dangerous as John was, there was a small spark in him that cherished life even as he took it. The man may have been a mere disruptor at one time, but now he was a soldier, but not like the Peacekeepers. He still had a weakness within. He was merciful and if he were merciful, then likely so were his people which suggested logically, that they wouldn't wantonly destroy worlds. That didn't mean they wouldn't but most likely hadn't. However, John Chricton was also as ruthless as they came when something got in the way of his mission. He created loyalty when none should have even trusted him. He escaped and his plans succeeded when those plans should have been utter failures. The man was a complex contradiction and she hated it – but not necessarily the man himself despite what he'd done to her.

"Unlikely. Peacekeeper Command believes that the Humans haven't been in space for more than eight hundred cycles. Their weapons capability isn't advanced enough to cause his much damage. There is some suggestion that his people have advanced quickly, but I personally know that he was exaggerating his species' capabilities. It's impossible for any people to progress from learning how to fly to landing on their moon in less than one hundred fifty cycles," she dismissed. There are other forces that we haven't encountered that are more likely the cause of this type of devastation. This is evidence of a great war fought on a scale I can barely comprehend." She paused for a moment. "All report indicate that these ruins are at a minimum, a thousand to fifty thousand cycles old, evidence of repeated battles. Logic states that we must side of caution not stay here any longer than necessary. Make sure that our escort prowlers are performing their duty. Better to err on the side of caution."

"Yes, Ma'am."

_**The Peacekeeper Command Carrier Perilous**_

_**Location: Unknown Territories in pursuit of Moya**_

Now, deep into what was referred to as Tormented Space, The command ship glided easily through the darkness in between the stars. The exotic and unidentified energies that pulsated and swirled around this particular region was long since abandoned by the _Perilous_ and its escorting carriers. No other Peacekeeper exploration vessel had penetrated this deeply besides Grayza's fleet and many of the technicians were taking as many sensor readings as possible. Like the fleet before him. Scorpius found the data fascinating as well as disturbing. Far too many habitable worlds had been destroyed and as the data accumulated the pattern was becoming clearer. Not only had those worlds succumbed to some great war but the worlds seemed to enclose a huge area of space almost as if to create a rim of some kind. The destroyed worlds, the huge radiation spikes and exotic energies were the remains of a conflict he could barely conceive of. It was also a warning he was taking very seriously. There were beings, perhaps still around, controlling sources of power that mere mortals could barely grasp. Powers that could rip planets apart, shear dimensions, and control wormholes to be used as weapons demanded that one tread carefully in the land of giants.

In his personal chambers the one called Scorpius, despite his half-Scarran heritage liked to believe himself a patient man and he was – up to a point. Being raised by a vicious female Scarran, a 'mother' surrogate, had taught him the meaning of pain. But it had also taught him the meaning of patience and eventually revenge. Chasing his one-time prey John Crichton halfway across the galaxy had taught him something else. _Oh, yes he _thought. He would admit a certain enthusiasm while chasing the elusive very inventive Human. What once had been a mere exercise turned game, then obsession was giving way to something else now. The Peacekeepers needed wormhole weapons desperately to, if for nothing else, maintain the precious balance between an increasingly aggressive Scarran forces. The Nebari were an ever increasing concern as well. With such weapons in PK hands the galaxy would be infinitely safer he kept telling himself while attempting to make himself believe it. But now he couldn't quite maintain his shattering illusions.

"Maybe John was right," he said to himself while continuing to read over the ever increasing amount of sensor data. If this devastation was an example of wormhole weaponry, and he couldn't fully rule it out, then the Scarrans must never obtain it. But what of the Peacekeepers, would they be any better if they had such power? Could they control their passions?

His conclusion: No.

He found his justifications of the Peacekeeper values being the lesser of two evils were becoming ever weaker but the universe was cruel and someone had to grab control and hold on or chaos would reign. Scorpius liked to believe that he knew John Chricton better than anyone, including John himself. And, he _did_ know him; but at the deepest core, the Human still remained a mystery, an enigma that defied definition. How could he have masked his thoughts so well to defy the Aurora chair and all subsequent attempts to falsify the true nature of Earth and its people? John had insisted that Earth was primitive. All indications confirmed this but it was an apparent lie. Had John been raised on a primitive world just to be prepared for this sort of mission to disrupt both Peacekeeper and Scarran to such a degree that they'd go to war and destroy each other, allowing the Earthforce to move in and take over? It seemed logical enough for PK command to send a force after the Scarrans, but again it didn't match. There was some vital element, some clue missing that needed to be found in order to connect the pieces of this puzzle. And what of Earthforce and their wormhole weapons? Were the Humans aggressors or were they protectors like John? There were so many questions needing so many answers.

Not for the first time had Scorpius wondered about the Human called John Crichton. If he could believe in a universal creator it would be because of his interactions with John. Wherever John was, events centered on and around him. He was Human, nothing, yet his mere presence affected everything around him. He was like a nexus point and the half Scarran was secretly happy that whatever forces watching and yes, protecting the Human wasn't focused on him. A moment later he scowled and slowly acknowledged that it was already too late for such hopes. John had pulled him in to his orbit as easily as he did everything else.

"A mystery surrounded in enigma," Scorpius said out loud. "Most fascinating, really."

But those answers would be lost forever it a certain Peacekeeper had his way. So once again, it was Scorpius to the rescue. _Moya_ could not be destroyed. John could not fall into the hands of the Peacekeepers again, especially not now. The _Crystia's_ commander wasn't the best of leaders. Like most Peacekeeper commanders he was as a trained killer and Scorpius wouldn't let John be killed by such an animal. So once again Scorpius accepted his role as just another object caught in the gravity well of one John Crichton.

"Commander Braca, give me an update on our progress."

"_Yes, Scorpius."_


	15. Chapter 14

Inoeth: The Shadows and Vorlons are gone but there are a few legacies left. The Shadow vessels are on Mars but these ships will leave as soon as some poor Earther touches it. Once discovered the other vessels will leave on an automated signal, or they will self-destruct. I haven't forgotten Psi-Corps in the least as you will see.

SpecH82: Humanity is a forgiving but also very cruel species. But we do desire peace if we can survive it. But Humanity id prideful and at this time in history, Earthforce (Earth Alliance) was as prideful as they came. But they were really also weak, something that is about to be shown both here and in AUOC. But they will improve.

The Sithspawn: Thanks! And I am looking forward for your next update on your AUoC series. I want to see how the Scarrans respond to the Feds. Also Grayza may be feeling terrified but her superiors should be crazed and more than willing to try to hunt down and destroy the Enterprise and Ambassador no matter the cost. But we'll see.

On with this story:

_**Chapter Fourteen**_

_**Babylon Five:**_

H'yllenn, member of the Minbari Castine clan of the Worker's Caste, officer on deck of the command and control center in charge of space traffic around the huge still-to-be-finished space station they had so inappropriately named _Babylon Five_, discovered that he had that rare blessing of a few minutes of free time between incoming ships. A Centauri transport along with two Narn freighters had arrived without incident. Just to make sure there were no incidents, he made sure that the recent enemies ships were parked as far as he could away from one another, not that he really worried about them too much. It wasn't for him to know (but he, like everyone else, did), however he'd heard how Dukhat had come down upon both the Centauri emperor and Narn leadership like the wrath of Valen, and not surprisingly they had listened. This wasn't the time for local bickering when there were real enemies out there and Dukhat was taking no chances. The five Minbari war cruisers patrolling the station helped served to keep trouble to a minimum. Plus, everyone in the local systems were concerned about the attacks on everyone by the so-called Scarran creatures that dared to attack Dukhat's ship.

He treasured these moments of peace as much as he treasured is job. Unlike many Minbari, he enjoyed meeting and interacting with other non-Minbari species and this responsibility presented the perfect opportunity to do so. Many in his family quietly disapproved but his parents accepted it and that was all that really mattered. The Human leadership that had arrived earlier was a source of endless fascination to him. They were strange and represented an alien culture totally different from anything he'd ever experienced. Their physical appearance suggested that they were related to Centauri at first glance but that's where the similarity vanished into the void. If nothing else the Humans were a bit more dignified.

Many of his subordinates were curious why the numbers of alien transports had increased so significantly in the last two days. He was shocked to see the _Wandering Star_ arrive late last night carrying several leaders he'd only seen in images. Delenn had arrived as well as Branmer. Dukhat was present and with the addition of these other two, it was hard to keep his mind to wander exactly what was going on, rumors aside.

When he was informed (by Shakiri no less!) what was to happen, H'yllenn visibly paled. The Scarrans were coming here to this station under a flag of truce within a few hours? Impossible! Their actions demanded nothing less than their total extermination. Obviously his initial rage was noted by Shakiri who simultaneously praised and rebuked him. The worker calmed down quickly, after all he was there to serve, not dictate policy. That was what their leaders were for. But it did explain why the Gray Council was on edge.

A Minbari cold-storage transport had just entered the station when the alert signal pierced the normally quiet control center. The lone Human traffic controller in the room jumped almost causing the Minbari officer to sigh. Why the Human was assigned here in the first place was a mystery to him. Associating with them was one thing but working with them an entirely different matter. They were somewhat chaotic, always asking questions when being told what to do should have been enough.

Traffic officer Yelldell, detecting the ship on her screen was the first to inform the crew of the arrival. H'yllenn immediately demanded position, speed, and other relevant data and as she gave details he stifled a smile. Her voice was so melodic that he felt his desire to perhaps talk to her outside of work rearing its ugly head. She was a distraction that he could joyfully embrace. However now the time to do one's duty and it was a serious duty at that.

"We have three Scarran warships… confirmed they are Scarran ships arriving in _Babylon_ space. Estimated time seven minutes, twelve seconds."

"Confirmed," said Linda Gray, the one Human controller of the group. "No jump point detected; repeat, no jump point detected. Transition into normal space is unknown."

The Minbari turned towards Linda in surprise. The sensors indicated a burst of exotic particles including tachyons just before the three ships appeared. By now long-distance imagers could see the ship quite clearly. They were shaped in combinations of dark-colored rectangles and cubes, quite ugly, but very intimidating to the younger races. All three were the length of Minbari _Sharlins_.

"Open a channel," H'yllenn growled. Just looking at the Scarran ships infuriated him.

"Channel opened."

"You have entered _Babylon Five_ space. Identify yourself and your purpose for being here," he snapped. His anger was getting the better of him and he forced himself to calm down.

"_I am Rylack, ambassador to the Scarran Empire,"_ hissed a voice cover the comms. _"I am here to discuss the events of the recent past to rectify and the differences in order to avoid a war between our people."_

H'yllenn answered quickly and professionally despite his feelings. "Coordinates are being transferred for your assigned parking station. Contact us when you compete the maneuver and we will transmit the coordinates for your shuttle to enter the station." Belatedly, he added, "and welcome to _Babylon Five_."

There was no response other than the click of the transmitter being abruptly turned off.

* * *

><p>The first thought that came to Santiago's mind when he saw the first Scarran enter the room was' intimidating' and that didn't describe what he was feeling completely. He was barely five foot nine, partially bald and sporting a potbelly that no amount of exercise was going to fix unless he stopped drinking beer for eternity. Next to him stood the reserved–looking Ambassador David Sheridan, Ambassador Calir, and Draal representing the Minbari. Both of them acted like this was a walk in the park for them. Standing together, all of them were about the same height although Santiago was the shortest of the four present. Several guards and a representative of the Psicorps stood nearby.<p>

In contrast, the grayish, six-foot six monster lizard-like alien looked like he could turn anyone of them into paste without half trying. The Scarran had no hair, but an elaborate head crest and teeth that looked like they could take a bite out of a tyrannosaur. The facial features were sharp but almost – in a vague sort of way – Humanoid. The creature's claws were elongated and sharp but that was nothing compared to the fierce intelligence in its eyes. By contrast, the three Scarrans accompanying him were far more lizard-like in appearance but no less menacing. It didn't matter what their appearances were, there was no mistaking that they were all predators.

"Greetings," Rylack said in English no less shocking the people in front of him. He lifted his head in a manner that exposed his throat, a measure of if not respect, then trust for the moment. "I am Rylack," he finished, enjoying their momentary shock.

"I am Ambassador David Sheridan of the Earth Alliance," he sputtered. "This is Senator Santiago of Earth Alliance, and Ambassador Calif, and Draal of the Minbari Federation.

He nodded slightly. "No doubt you are surprised that I can speak your language. It was required of us when the disruptor John Chricton," and he sneered the name, "attempted to destroy our command base with a fission weapon. We wish to make ourselves clear when we explain to him and his associates the error of their ways!"

"I see that you can understand Minbari as well," Calif said slowly. "Did you take the time to learn our language as well?"

"No. I understand the Minbari language but cannot speak it. You have translation devices. We use translator microbes to understand different languages we are confronted with," Rylack explained.

Draal narrowed his eyes. "What are translator microbes?"

"Those are microbes that once injected live in the base of the brain and allows one to understand any language being spoken. It's used in most civilized sectors of the galaxy," he snorted/growled. "I can understand that you wouldn't be aware of them here."

Draal nearly matched his growl at the implied insult. However Sheridan, realizing the Minbari was about to retort, cut in.

"Perhaps it's best that we adjourn to the meeting room where we can discuss our differences in a more comfortable setting?"

Rylack nodded. "Acceptable."

The group followed by security and several aides entered the room and sat down. The chairs were somewhat small for the Scarran's large frame but they made the effort.

"Before we begin, it is a Minbari custom to offer those who enter our house refreshments. Would you like anything?"

"I am not familiar with your cuisines and would rather not," Rylack answered. "I am not here to suffer your pleasantries. I'm here to prevent war."

"As are we," Sheridan answered. The abruptness of the Scarran forced David to change his tactics. Rylack's attitude was one of a predator, one who was used to getting what he wanted and apparently patience wasn't one of his virtues although it looked as if he were trying. "Very well. You stated that one of our people, a John Chricton was responsible in for nearly starting a war between your people and another species…"

"They are called Peacekeepers. Their species is called Sebacean," clarified Rylack. "Yes, blood has been shed, our ships fighting each other because of his interference in the affairs of both governments. Because of him, many of our people demand vengeance, or his head or the lives of your entire species. He attempted to assassinate the Emperor on his own throne. His interference has pushed our quadrant to the brink of war! There are those in the hierarchy that believe his actions were purposeful and used as a prelude to invasion by the planet Earthforce called Earth by Chricton."

"Until the attacks by your people began, we had no idea you even existed," Sheridan said. "Why would we send someone to interfere with your affairs when we don't even know where you are?"

"So you deny John Chricton is working under you authority?"

"Yes. We have a lot of Humans named John Chricton, but all of them are accounted for."

"Of course you'd say that," Advon hissed. The reptilian looking Scarran looked not angry, but threatening. "You would say anything to deny your involvement, to keep your hands clean. He looks Sebacean, but he is definitely not of their species. His heat aura is different, exactly like yours. His script is the same; his arrogant attitude reeks of yours. There is a way to discover the truth…"

"Enough," Rylack growled. "We know he is Human, so you can deny all you want but it changes nothing. What is important here is that we find out if he is working for your people or if he is some insane, independent animal that needs to be put down."

"Whether this John Chricton is Human or not isn't as important as the fact that you people attacked Minbari ships without provocation," growled Calif.

"Elements of the Empire did that," Rylack said. "We did not sanction any attacks on your people or the Humans either. That is why were are here, to track down those elements and eliminate them and by doing so keep our people from going to war."

"It's not only us but the Centauri and Narn governments have been attacked by your people as well. In fact several other governments have been attacked that have nothing to do with humans.

"So I've heard. That is why we are tracking them even as we speak. It would be a shame to have to wipe out the local species because of the actions of some hot-heated Scarran." Both Calif and Draal bristled. Sheridan and Santiago twisted in their seats angered by the apparent dismissal of these aliens. But let us refocus on the matter at hand. Crichton's ship called _Farscape One_, although primitive by Peacekeeper standards, it attacked and destroyed a Peacekeeper Prowler, a type of fighter. That was his first known appearance. He then associated with criminals and murders on a fleeing prison ship called Moya. He poisoned the mind and body of a Sebacean soldier, contaminating her and forcing her to flee her own people. He's robbed banks, murdered innocent civilians, and killed those who attempted to apprehend him. He has destroyed Scarran warships using an unknown weapon. He has killed Scarrans and Peacekeepers alike. He has turned entire worlds into deserts. He brought a nuclear device into the very heart of the Scarran Empire and attempted to blow up the emperor before he escaped. His means of escape forced us to confront a Peacekeeper vessel and a war was almost started because of his actions. The Peacekeepers want him for secrets he's stolen from them. We just want his dead or justice served."

David looked at the Scarran incredulously. "How could one man possibly do all of the things you've said? He would have to be some sort of superman."

"No, he is a superbly trained disruptor," was Rylack's answer.

"We assumed you've tried to capture him?"

"Of course," answered Advon. "We have captured and interrogated him on several occasions. Each time he has managed to escape and left us with more questions than answers."

"Each and every time?" asked a very cynical, unconvinced Sheridan.

"He is very good," the Scarran hissed.

"He must be a magician," Santiago said, much to Rylack's irritation. Having to admit that a mere Human could evade Scarran had been a painful admission and this human was indirectly insulting the Empire, accusing it of being incompetent. "I shall assume that the Peacekeepers attempted to capture him as well. Were they successful?"

It took the Scarran ambassador a few seconds to answer the question. "Yes," he finally admitted. "He escaped them first."

"For a human, that is most certainly impressive," muttered Draal. "I wouldn't believe it possible for a mere human to escape two great and powerful stellar empires. At the least, he must have unlimited resources at his disposal."

This time Rylack slammed his powerful clawed fists onto the table, which trembled under the impacts. He quickly recovered but berated himself anyway. His emperor wouldn't have approved of such weakness and he dared not show that to Ahkna. "Not that we were able to uncover. As I've said, he was very resourceful; using whatever was at hand at the time."

"All very interesting," Santiago said. "A veritable super human travels around in your area of space with an unarmed shuttle, because none of our shuttles were armed, creating havoc in his wake and because of one individual you're ready to go to war with a people who you've never even met. I believe that either you or those Peacekeepers are not as strong as you say or you've been a victim of a massive conspiracy. I prefer to believe the latter."

_**Moya at the edge of the Dead Zone (Known to some as the Rim)  
><strong>_

In the dining area Ka _D'Argo stared intently at John__who was still reeling from possibility. "He lied to you, John. Scorpius lied to you." He sighed. "I don't know why you're so surprised. He's been doing that since you met. It was another way of, what's the human term, 'psyching you out'." _

_John looked the crew, including Pilot, who listened in with the others. He could barely speak. _

_"He told you Earth was seventy years distant," the Luxan continued._

_"More like sixty," corrected a morose John. "I didn't expect him to sell Earth out to the Scarrans. No matter what I do, I'm screwed."_

_"John," Aeryn started. We all know that Scorpius hates the Scarran more than anyone. He would never have given them the location to Earth. You know that."_

_"But they found out," snapped John. "Earth won't have a chance. 'Big D, you've been there. You all know that."_

_"You're right Chricton," Rigel affirmed. "Erp wouldn't stand a chance against the Scarran armada all of which brings up this point. We all know from bitter experience that we'll be pulled into one of your insanely dangerous schemes, so why don't we use your obsession with wormholes and make it to Erp in a matter of minutes? You can make a wormhole weapon and end this. So Chricton, why don't you?"_

_**Babylon Five**_

If a peacekeeper had said those insulting words to Rylack's face, that Sebacean would have been immediately doomed to a heat death. But Rylack managed to keep his temper in check. He needed time and starting a battle inside the station would not serve anyone's purpose at this point. So instead of killing the Sebacean look-alike as he wished, he asked, "why do you say this, that we might be victims of a conspiracy?"

The taller of the two Humans, the ambassador answered. "It's because of the photographs and information you've provide. The clues are there. First, we have no records of a John Chricton fitting the description your person of interests. Second, the original vessel in the images you gave us, though similar to our space shuttles built more than three hundred years ago, Earth has never built and or use any functional ship of that size for any form of exploration. And third, what convinces us that this is some type of conspiracy to force my people and yours into a war is the fact that according to the script the ships is an International Aeronautics and Space Administration or IASA created vessel." Now the Human glared at him, his eyes alight with the confidence of truth. "Our organization was called the National Aeronautics and Space Administration known as NASA. We've never had an organization called the IASA. This so-called astronaut named John Chricton had never appeared in our records. Of course, it may have been an alias of some sort and his biometrics may simulate a Humans but whoever did this made a critical error in using the name IASA, and not NASA. Someone or something has been playing and interfering with your region of space for any of a hundred reasons, but it was not us. Your forces have been attacking the wrong people.

The Scarran sat there, stunned. He couldn't have been more shocked if the old Human had jumped up and slapped him. The other Scarrans were just as taken aback.

"You lie," snarled Advon.

His body temperature was increasing. Rylack found that understandable. But this conversation was troubling and not proceeding in the directing he had expected it to.

"Where is your proof?"

* * *

><p>The Human ambassador smiled and began showing images and records. Twenty minutes later Rylack could barely think. Could Chricton have really been some altered Sebacean? No, that couldn't be right. He wasn't cold-blooded like the Sebaceans and there was no known remedy for that. He was physically weaker than the average Peacekeeper. But he was more flexible in both mind and body, doing things that Sebaceans could never hope to accomplish, no matter how well trained. He <em>thought<em> differently. Then there was the wormhole weapon that destroyed a Scarran dreadnaught. No, that couldn't be faked but according to Scorpius' records, the creature was truly a Human, the same as these creatures here and the ones collected for analysis and dissection. But what if they were from an unknown faction hiding from their fellow humans somewhere among the stars? But how could the Aurora chair or their own interrogations have missed such a thing? The answer was: they wouldn't. Chricton was just a man; but if Chricton wasn't from Earth then what of the flower? He thought hard. If there was an enemy of Earth's out there that was aware that the flower as on Earth, then what better way could there be if the Scarran attacked Earth and achieved the flower and thereby fulfill the purpose of the enemy and never know the truth? A plan within a plan. Very interesting, but very useful as the conquest would serve both purposes. But the Empire did not suffer indignities such as this lightly. It this 'theory' was true then Rylack would hunt them down, after the secured Earth.

"Your proof seems to be acceptable on the surface," Rylack admitted to the Humans and Minbari. "But, I still have doubts. If he wasn't from your Earth Alliance, then perhaps he was from another faction of your species intimately familiar with Earth."

The Humans ambassador looked confused by that statement.

"As far as we know, there are no other factions of Humans in the galaxy other than our colonies and outposts," Sheridan stated. "There were rumors of abductions by unknown aliens who may or may not have experimented on Humanity. The Vree did kidnap humans but they always returned them and never abducted us in large numbers."

"But our information _is_ reliable," protested Rylack. "He had an innate understanding of the planet Earth. His conversations with the Emperor was convincing enough for my leader to believe him."

"Wait," pounced Santiago. "I thought you said that this Chricton tried to kill your emperor."

"This conversation was held before the threat was realized," hissed Rylack, trying to recover from his admission. "He and the emperor were discussing points of similarity between our two species. The conversation was far-ranging and the two of them even discussed certain botanical plants that were similar to the flora of Earth. For example, he notes that a flower we call the _Crystherium Utilia, _was the same as the Bird of Paradise flower on Earth. If this is true, then such small revelations would prove that he had some understanding of the planet."

"A lot of people on Earth know about of that flower," Sheridan countered. "It's a common flower. Found in the tropics. Very popular."

_Yes! _

"But," continued David. "That doesn't mean this person was Human, although he may have spent time on Earth or studied my world. I believe that this person was a…what you call a disruptor, to get your people and these Peacekeepers set against each other. As we said, we had no idea that you even existed until your people began attacking us. Now, what's a better way for someone start a war than by shifting the blame on a species who had never even heard of your people?"

"As an ambassador, I can sympathize with your grievances against the Humans if they were part of this conspiracy. However that doesn't excuse the thousands of men and women your people murdered throughout this region of space, "Ambassador Calif growled. "Every race in the sector has suffered because of the ignorance of your people and their ill-conceived attempt at revenge. The Minbari will not tolerate any more actions against our people. We will hunt these rebels down and destroy them. Too much blood has been shed. It would be wise for you get out of the way."

"Your arrogance will start a war, Ambassador," replied a shocked Rylack. The vehemence of the statement was unexpected. He was sure that the Minbari would be somewhat reasonable. "We're here to help avoid that, for the sake of your people."

"You can do that by getting out of the way!" Draal growled. "Your help is not wanted. The Minbari have ridden the stars for a thousand years. We will deal with this in our own way."

"Only a thousand years," scoffed Advon. "You are still children just venturing into the stars. The Scarran Empire has been in space for tens of thousands of cycles. We do as we wish."

"We came here to help remove rebels from attacking our distant neighbors, and promote the peace," Rylack said as he got up pushing the chair away. "I see it was a mistake."

Sheridan and Santiago glanced at each other quickly. The meeting was beginning to fall apart as the Minbari and their insane pride had all but derailed the entire negotiations.

"No," Sheridan quickly said. "Peace is always preferable to war."

"Spoken like Chricton before he destroyed our dreadnaught and murdered tens of thousands of Scarrans," Rylack countered. "You claim to know nothing about him but your very mannerisms betray you."

"Maybe this Chricton is Human as you're claiming," Santiago said. "But how do we know that you're telling the truth?"

Rylack stood up. "You dare call me a liar, human?" everyone in the room heard the contempt in the word 'human'.

Santiago stared at the towering Scarran. "You claim that we're lying. You claim that this John Chricton is human and you claim than he, all by himself, has nearly started a war between your people and the Peacekeepers. We're supposed to believe you, but you refuse to believe us. Unless his man is produced and we both can discover the full truth, we're at an impasse," Santiago said, not backing down despite the massive difference in height between the two. "The Minbari have a saying, 'the truth is a three-edged sword, my truth, your truth, and the truth. What's your truth?"

Draal look was that of approval for the Human's bravery. The quote wasn't exact but it was close enough. But the glares being sent his way made Draal think that I might have been a bit much considering the circumstances for a human.

* * *

><p>Located in a small room not too far removed from the ongoing negotiations, Satai Dukhat and President Levy looked at the proceedings with rapped interest, dissecting every word, every mannerism exhibited by both parties.<p>

"I'm sorry," Levy whispered. "These Scarran frighten me on a visceral level and I don't trust the ambassador. I just can't accept as truth that one man could do everything that these people are claiming he's done with no support, no equipment, and no backup. There's a part of me that imagines this might be some kind of wonderful fantasy, but what they're claiming is frankly impossible."

"There is no dishonor in being frightened," answered Dukhat. "Only a fool ignores that warning that fear imparts on us. I've watched the Scarrans and I do know that they believe what they're saying if I am discerning their body language properly. They're alien, true but, I believe that they are convinced of that what they're saying is true."

"No one person could be that dangerous, or," she added, "that lucky."

"I could say something like 'the universe does indeed like to surprise us with its mysteries, however, I won't," he smirked. The Minbari leader looked at woman. "We need to know the truth before this escalates into war. The Shadow war has been avoided and I intend to have peace between us and the Scarrans."

"If it's possible. But I do have a suggestion," Levy said thinking about where she though Santiago was heading towards. "Why don't we use the telepaths to find out the truth?"


End file.
